English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  September 27/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."
Matthew 20/01-16/"For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'So the last will be first, and the first last."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 26-27/2025
Peace with Israel and neutrality are the true foundations of Lebanon's protection—not weapons, wars, or the deceit and illusions of the so-called resistance...A Wake-Up Call for Lebanon: The Path to Peace and Neutrality/Elias Bejjani/September 25/2025
Netanyahu calls on Lebanese government to 'begin direct negotiations with Israel'
Salam won't resign, calls for ministerial meeting at Grand Serail
Israel says it struck site used to produce precision missiles in eastern Lebanon
UK supports Lebanon’s national renewable energy vision
Riad Salameh posts record bail
Geagea says Hezbollah 'hasn't learned anything', throws support behind Salam
UK court drops charges against rapper who displayed Hezbollah flag
Son of Lebanon's slain Hezbollah chief says his father's final days were filled with rage
Raouché and the Politics of Suicide: Hezbollah’s Theatrics of Decline/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/September 26/2025
Slaim Launches Accountability Process Against "The Party" and Those Who Failed to Comply/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025
The Heiba ​​Series/Imad Musa/Nida Al-Watan/September 27, 2025
"Wafiq Safa" celebrates "Asnad" faction's defeat by exploiting state weakness/Tony Atiyeh/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025
"The Party" Loves "Chaos"!/Sana Al-Jaak/Nida Al-Watan/September 27, 2025
Nawaf Isn't a Branchless Tree/Samar Zreik/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025
Netanyahu at UN: Israel ‘must finish job’ in Gaza; Trump: Deal near, hostages could soon be freed/Ynetnews/September 26/2025
Lebanese government vows to rein in Hezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock display
Qassem and Barrack… The Worst Is Yet to Come/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 26/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 26-27/2025
Details of Trump’s 21-point peace plan for Gaza revealed
UAE FM to warn Israel’s Netanyahu against annexation in New York meeting: Official
Erdogan says reached understanding with Trump on ceasefire in Gaza, lasting peace
Tony Blair could lead transitional authority in Gaza: reports
Trump says ‘I think we have a deal’ on Gaza
Pakistan PM appeals for India talks, hails Trump role
UN Security Council rejects Russia and China’s last-ditch effort to delay Iran sanctions
What to know about the international flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza
MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive
Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends
Pakistani security forces kill 17 Taliban fighters
World must take decisive action on Syria’s Al-Hol camp: UN officials
Full text of Netanyahu’s speech: We won’t let the world shove a terror state down our throat

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 26-27/2025
The 'Free' University of Brussels: An Anti-Semitic Madrassa in Europe?/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/September 26, 2025
Big powers must change or our world will continue to bleed/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/September 26, 2025
Turkiye’s growing defense alliance with Egypt, Saudi Arabia/Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/September 26, 2025
Question: “Is it possible to know when Jesus is coming back?”/GotQuestions/September 27/2025
Iran: Fear of Running Short of Water/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 26/2025
Selected X tweets For September 26/2024

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 26-27/2025
Peace with Israel and neutrality are the true foundations of Lebanon's protection—not weapons, wars, or the deceit and illusions of the so-called resistance.
A Wake-Up Call for Lebanon: The Path to Peace and Neutrality
Elias Bejjani/September 25/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147641/
In his latest interview with Sky News Arabia, U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack presented positions that were unprecedented in their frankness and clarity. He did not settle for vague diplomatic rhetoric but instead spoke plainly about official U.S. policy toward Lebanon, confirming that his words were a precise reflection of Washington’s stance. This makes his remarks a political document worthy of careful attention.
1. American Honesty in Confronting Lebanese Duplicity
Barrack stressed that the Lebanese authorities are practicing what he called “clever maneuvering”: issuing promises and slogans that are never implemented. He explained that the government manipulates the international community, saying one thing and doing the opposite—especially regarding its obligation to disarm Hezbollah in accordance with international resolutions and the ceasefire agreement. This was not a polite remark or a passing observation. It was a direct and blunt accusation that the Lebanese state is complicit in covering for the Iranian militia’s hegemony. Barrack made it clear: Washington no longer believes empty promises—it wants real commitments, not words.
2. The Reality of U.S. Support for the Lebanese Army
One of the statements that stirred debate was Barrack’s remark that America will not supply Lebanon with offensive weapons against Israel. Some voices seized upon this and launched attacks against Washington, accusing it of leaving Lebanon exposed. Yet such criticism is distorted and selective.
The facts are clear: the United States has provided consistent support to the Lebanese Army for years—training, equipment, vehicles, border surveillance, and significant defensive weaponry. This support amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars annually, allowing the army to maintain cohesion in a country suffering total economic collapse. Without this aid, the army would struggle even to pay soldiers’ salaries.
Why won’t America supply Lebanon with offensive weapons? The answer is simple: Lebanon neither needs nor can acquire offensive weapons on the scale of Israel’s arsenal. Any attempt to do so would be strategic suicide. Israel possesses nuclear weapons, the most advanced air defense systems in the world, precision-guided smart munitions, and military technology far beyond that of any regional state. Even if Lebanon acquired some heavy weapons, it would not alter the balance of power.
3. What Protects Lebanon is not Weapons but Agreements and Peace
True protection for Lebanon will not come from an arms race but from adherence to international law, respect for U.N. resolutions, and a commitment to peace. The examples from neighboring states are clear:
Jordan has limited military capacity, yet since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 it has faced no Israeli aggression.
Egypt fought bloody wars with Israel, but since the 1979 Camp David accords, its borders have remained secure.
These examples prove that peace safeguards small and vulnerable nations more effectively than weapons ever could. If Lebanon chose a similar path, it would be safe from aggression and spared the devastation of endless wars.
4. The Collapse of the “Resistance” Myth
Here it is necessary to expose the claims of Hezbollah, Iran, and the broader Islamist movements—Shiite and Sunni alike—including the Muslim Brotherhood and their sponsors in Qatar and Turkey. They wave the banner of “resistance” and promise to wipe Israel off the map. Yet reality has proven the exact opposite:
In 1967, all Arab armies were defeated by Israel in just six days.
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon, reached Beirut, and expelled the PLO.
In 2006, the July War plunged Lebanon into devastation, proving that Hezbollah’s weapons do not protect the country but instead invite catastrophe.
Lately Israel has managed to cripple Hezbollah’s capabilities in the south through deterrence and precision strikes, while helping in toppling the Assad regime and end Iran’s presence in Syria.
Meanwhile Israel is on the way to eliminating Hamas in Gaza, despite extensive Iranian, Qatari, and Turkish support.
These facts reveal that Hezbollah’s and Iran’s slogans of “divine victories” are nothing but hypocrisy, deceit, and delusion. The Iranian project is built on exploiting the illusion of “resistance” to keep populations under control, but in the end, it has suffered repeated defeats.
5. Lebanon Needs No “Phantom Resistance,” Only Neutrality and Peace
The core reality is that the Lebanese Army does not need offensive weapons, nor should it be dragged into futile wars. Its capabilities are limited, its economy shattered, and it has no interest in confronting a regional military powerhouse like Israel.
What Lebanon truly needs is:
The disarmament of Hezbollah, in line with international resolutions.
The adoption of positive neutrality, following Switzerland’s example, to escape the regional proxy wars.
A fair peace agreement with Israel, securing its borders and resources while allowing Lebanon to focus on rebuilding and development.
6. Debunking Misleading Arguments
Those who attack Ambassador Barrack and claim that Washington is “preventing Lebanon from defending itself” ignore basic realities:
Lebanon cannot engage in an arms race with Israel.
It cannot purchase weapons worth billions while drowning in economic collapse.
The weapons Hezbollah claims “protect Lebanon” have not stopped Israel from striking the south daily, nor have they prevented financial and political ruin. On the contrary, they have destroyed Lebanon’s sovereignty.
These arguments are nothing more than propaganda tools serving Iran’s agenda.
Conclusion: An Opportunity to Save Lebanon
Ambassador Tom Barrack’s words should be read as a wake-up call: Lebanon stands before two stark choices. Either it continues in its duplicity and empty promises, covering for Hezbollah’s weapons and sliding deeper into crises and ruin. Or it takes the bold decision to break free from the culture of arms, return to international legitimacy, and embrace neutrality and peace.
All of Hezbollah’s and Iran’s claims about “resistance” have collapsed in utter defeat. They have neither deterred Israel, nor regained territory, nor empowered Lebanon. On the contrary, they have only brought international isolation, poverty, and mass emigration.
The only viable protection for Lebanon is peace. This is the core message carried by the U.S. Ambassador: there is no room left for illusions.

Netanyahu calls on Lebanese government to 'begin direct negotiations with Israel'
NaharnetSeptember 26/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that “peace between Israel and Lebanon is possible,” calling on the Lebanese government to “begin direct negotiations with Israel.”Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu said he commends the Lebanese government for “its declared aim to disarm Hezbollah,” but added that “we need more than words.” “If Lebanon takes genuine and sustained action to disarm Hezbollah, I’m sure we can achieve a sustainable peace. Of course until that happens, we will take whatever action we need to defend ourselves and to maintain the conditions of the ceasefire which was established in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. “Our goal is not merely to monitor Hezbollah’s actions, but to prevent it from violating the ceasefire and attacking us at any time, but I’m sure that if the Lebanese government persists in its goal of disarming Hezbollah, peace will come,” he added.

Salam won't resign, calls for ministerial meeting at Grand Serail
Naharnet/September 26/2025
Lebanon's former central bank governor Riad Salameh posted more than $14 million in bail Friday after a year in detention over embezzlement allegations, paving the way for his release, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh, 75, who headed the central bank for three decades, has faced numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He was arrested in September last year and indicted in April for allegedly embezzling $44 million from the central bank. But last month, the judiciary agreed to release Salameh on bail of more than $20 million and with a one-year travel ban, and on Thursday reduced the bail figure upon the request of Salameh's legal team. Salameh's lawyer "paid the bail of $14 million plus five billion Lebanese pounds" (around $55,000) -- the highest amount in Lebanese judicial history -- and the judge signed the documentation authorizing his release, a judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The former central bank chief will be released "in the next few hours once legal procedures have been completed," the official added, noting the travel ban came into effect upon the bail payment. Salameh has been held in a medical facility near Beirut in recent months due to his deteriorating health. He had been expected to be automatically released in early September when his detention order expired without trial, a judicial official had told AFP last month. The judiciary had already issued orders for his release in two other cases in July. Salameh is widely viewed as a key culprit in Lebanon's economic crash, which the World Bank has called one of the worst in recent history, but has defended his legacy, insisting he is a "scapegoat".He left office at the end of July 2023 and has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, saying his wealth comes from private investment and his previous work at U.S. investment firm Merrill Lynch.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam does not intend to resign or stop performing his duties and he is “reviewing the government’s work with the aim of rectifying and enhancing the performance,” Deputy PM Tarek Mitri said Friday after meeting with Salam.
This comes after Hezbollah defied Salam and Lebanese authorities by illuminating the iconic Raouche Rock with images of its slain chiefs Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine despite controversy and authorities’ refusal to grant permission for such a move.
“I have not suspended my duties and I have not resigned. I have rather canceled my appointments for today to focus on what happened yesterday and discuss the next steps,” Salam’s visitors quoted him as saying on Friday, according to MTV.
“Salem will not back down from his decision and he wants to know why the government’s decision was overlooked as to what happened with the illumination of the Raouche Rock,” MTV added. Ministers and MPs had visited Salam in the morning in solidarity with his stances.
“Salam is insisting that measures should be taken and he is expected to issue a statement today,” sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar meanwhile told MTV that the public prosecution will take action at his instructions, noting that “the judiciary does not deal with politics but rather with the law” and stressing that “the law will be enforced on everyone without exception.”
Salam had on Thursday asked Nassar and the defense and interior ministers to take "appropriate measures, including arresting the perpetrators and referring them for investigation," noting that the incident "negatively impacts (Hezbollah's) credibility in dealing with the logic of the state and its institutions."MTV reported Friday that “there is an inclination to terminate the license of the Hezbollah-affiliated association (that organized the Raouche event) for not abiding by the required conditions.”Salam will meanwhile meet with the ministers of defense, interior and justice at the Grand Serail ahead of holding a meeting with all ministers at 4:00 pm. Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar of Hezbollah told Al-Jadeed that the party’s ministers will attend the ministerial meeting and that they are “open to discussion and consultations over all issues, because dialogue is the basis of everything.”
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered at a scenic overlook on Beirut's coast Thursday and projected images Nasrallah and Safieddine on the iconic arched Raouche rock to commemorate their deaths in Israeli airstrikes nearly a year ago. The move came despite an attempt by Salam to halt the planned light show. Salam issued a circular earlier this week pointing to "the recent recurrence of the exploitation of national monuments for propaganda purposes and to hold activities in which partisan and political slogans are raised."He directed public bodies to "strictly prohibit the use of public land and sea areas, archaeological and tourist landmarks, or those that bear a unifying national symbolism before obtaining the necessary licenses and permits from the relevant authorities."
Nasrallah, the longtime leader of the militant group and political party, was killed in a series of massive Israeli strikes on a site in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024, that destroyed an entire block under which Nasrallah was meeting with an Iranian general and some of his top military commanders. Days later, Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, was killed in another series of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs. A Hezbollah representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group's procedures, confirmed that the organizers had only requested permission for the gathering. He said it was unclear which agency had authority to give permission for the light show on the rock and that they considered it was covered by "freedom of expression" under Lebanon's constitution. The event was a show of force by the militant group and political party, which suffered serious blows in last year's war with Israel and has been under domestic and international pressure to give up its remaining arsenal since then. The Lebanese government has said it will work on disarming Hezbollah and consolidating weapons in the hands of the state. Hezbollah officials have said they will not discuss handing over the groups weapons until Israel stops its airstrikes and withdraws its forces from several key border points they are occupying in southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials have been reluctant to push the country's cash-strapped army to forcibly disarm the group, fearing that such a move would lead to civil conflict.

Israel says it struck site used to produce precision missiles in eastern Lebanon
Naharnet/September 26/2025
Israel's air force carried out airstrikes Friday on eastern Lebanon, the Lebanese state-run news agency reported without giving any word on casualties. The Israeli military said it struck a site used for manufacturing precision missiles. The airstrikes took place near the Lebanese village of Saraain in the Bekaa Valley region, according to the National News Agency. They are the latest strikes since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. The Israeli military said the site constituted a violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon. It added that the military will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to Israel. Since the ceasefire went into effect, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, alleging that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its capabilities. The most recent Israeli war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion worth of destruction, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers. The war started when Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a deadly Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an escalating conflict that became a full-blown war in late September 2024.

UK supports Lebanon’s national renewable energy vision
Naharnet /September 26/2025
British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell has launched, with the Minister of Energy and Water Joe Saddi, Lebanon’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP 2025–2030). Since 2024, the UK partnered with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation to provide targeted technical support to help update the NREAP, a strategic roadmap that outlines Lebanon’s renewable energy ambitions and implementation priorities for the coming years."The UK’s support reflects its broader global leadership on climate action and its dedication to helping partner countries unlock sustainable energy solutions. By working closely with Lebanon’s energy institutions, the UK aims to foster innovation, policy reform, and enable investment and finance in renewable energy technologies," the British Embassy said in a statement Friday. "The updated NREAP will serve as a cornerstone for Lebanon’s short and long-term renewable energy goals, supporting the country’s resilience, energy independence, and climate commitments."Following the launch, British Ambassador to Lebanon said: "The UK is proud to support Lebanon in shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future. The UK’s technical support to Lebanon’s updated National Renewable Energy Action Plan is a vital step toward unlocking Lebanon’s energy transition, and addressing the challenges that stand in the way of progress. The NREAP 2025-2030 is not just a plan—it is a commitment to the Lebanese people and environment. With the UK’s support, Lebanon is equipped to overcome obstacles, accelerate transition to renewable energy and explore strategic partnerships for effective implementation."

Riad Salameh posts record bail
Agence France Presse/September 26/2025
Lebanon's former central bank governor Riad Salameh posted more than $14 million in bail Friday after a year in detention over embezzlement allegations, paving the way for his release, a judicial official told AFP. Salameh, 75, who headed the central bank for three decades, has faced numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He was arrested in September last year and indicted in April for allegedly embezzling $44 million from the central bank. But last month, the judiciary agreed to release Salameh on bail of more than $20 million and with a one-year travel ban, and on Thursday reduced the bail figure upon the request of Salameh's legal team. Salameh's lawyer "paid the bail of $14 million plus five billion Lebanese pounds" (around $55,000) -- the highest amount in Lebanese judicial history -- and the judge signed the documentation authorizing his release, a judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The former central bank chief will be released "in the next few hours once legal procedures have been completed," the official added, noting the travel ban came into effect upon the bail payment. Salameh has been held in a medical facility near Beirut in recent months due to his deteriorating health. He had been expected to be automatically released in early September when his detention order expired without trial, a judicial official had told AFP last month. The judiciary had already issued orders for his release in two other cases in July. Salameh is widely viewed as a key culprit in Lebanon's economic crash, which the World Bank has called one of the worst in recent history, but has defended his legacy, insisting he is a "scapegoat".He left office at the end of July 2023 and has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, saying his wealth comes from private investment and his previous work at U.S. investment firm Merrill Lynch.

Geagea says Hezbollah 'hasn't learned anything', throws support behind Salam
Naharnet/September 26/2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday said that the Raouche Rock event proved that “Hezbollah has not learned anything from everything that has happened and has not drawn lessons from the tragedies it plunged Lebanon and the Lebanese into.”
“In whose face was the finger raised yesterday on the Raouche Rock? The Israeli attacks on Lebanon are countless, so was that finger raised to confront them? Or was it raised in the face of the majority of Beirut’s residents and the Lebanese in general?” Geagea wondered, referring to a laser illustration of Nasrallah’s famous finger gesture that was beamed onto the Raouche Rock during Thursday’s event. “What happened at the Raouche Rock represents an additional black mark in Hezbollah’s record, at a time the majority of the Lebanese -- represented in PM Nawaf Salam’s government, which won parliament’s confidence twice in six months -- is working on convincing the Lebanese first, Arabs second and the world third that Lebanon is not a lawless land and that there is an actual possibility for the rise of a real state in it,” Geagea added. He, however, reassured that “all of this shall not pass, seeing as an actual state has started to form in Lebanon over the past months and nothing will stand in the face of its complete rise.”Geagea also criticized security agencies for not preventing the illumination of the rock with the pictures of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, saying security forces “acted as if they had nothing to do with laws or with enforcing them.”Saluting Salam for “his continuous efforts for the rise of the aspired state,” Geagea called on security and judicial agencies to summon those who were granted the permission to organize the event to hold them accountable for violating the conditions. He also called on the defense and interior ministers to conduct the necessary internal investigations to “determine responsibilities and fill the gaps.”“The Lebanese people have been longing for a long time to see the rise of the state of law and this start has truly started. That’s why, we in the Lebanese Forces, along with all the loyal ones in this country, will never be lenient with any attempt to obstruct the rise of the state of law,” Geagea went on to say. He also called on all Lebanese to throw their support behind their government and premier “in their strenuous endeavor for the rise of the aspired state.”

UK court drops charges against rapper who displayed Hezbollah flag
Agence France Presse/September 26/2025
A UK court on Friday threw out a terrorism charge against a Northern Irish singer from the punk rap group Kneecap which had provoked an outcry among their fans. Cheers erupted from supporters as the judge found there had been a technical error in the case against Liam O'Hanna and told him he was "free to go". O'Hanna, 27, had denied the offense, after being charged in May when a video emerged from a November concert in London, in which he was alleged to have displayed a flag of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah. O'Hanna, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, and his two bandmates had arrived earlier wearing balaclavas in the colous of the Irish flag for the hearing at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London. His legal team had challenged whether the charge was filed correctly. "I find that these proceedings were not instigated in the correct form," chief magistrate Paul Goldspring agreed, adding "consequently the charges are unlawful and null and the court has no jurisdiction."The band had branded the legal process a "witchhunt".Since the UK banned Hezbollah as a "terrorist" organization in 2019, it has been an offense to show support for the group. O'Hanna said in earlier interviews he did not know what the Hezbollah flag was and that he was part of a sometimes satirical musical act not to be taken at face value. Kneecap has also said the video that led to the charge was taken out of context. In an interview with AFP earlier this month, O'Hanna predicted the charge was "clearly going to get thrown out because it's ridiculous". The raucous punk-rap group, who sing in the Irish language as well as English, has also issued a statement saying "they do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah". They have seen their notoriety increase since the start of the legal proceedings, having been banned in Canada and Hungary, with some of their concerts canceled in Germany and Austria.The group canceled all 15 dates of a planned U.S. tour next month because they fell too close to the court case.
Palestine Action arrests -
Kneecap has grabbed headlines for statements denouncing Israel's war in Gaza. The UK legal case comes amid growing controversy over support for organizations that have been banned. Hundreds have been arrested, mostly at demonstrations, since the Palestine Action group was outlawed in early July under anti-terrorism laws. The British government ban on Palestine Action came into force days after the group took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7.0 million ($9.3 million) of damage. The group said its actions were to protest against Britain's military support for Israel during the Gaza war. Supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison in the UK. Daring provocateurs to their fans, dangerous extremists to their detractors, Kneecap was formed in 2017 and is no stranger to controversy. Its lyrics are filled with references to drugs, members have repeatedly clashed with the UK government and they have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. Last year, the group was catapulted to international fame by a semi-fictional film based on them that scooped multiple awards, including at the Sundance festival.

Son of Lebanon's slain Hezbollah chief says his father's final days were filled with rage
Reuters/September 26/2025
A year after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his son recounts the group's devastation, mass casualties, and the impact on Lebanon’s south amid Israel’s cross-border assault. This time last year, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was consumed by rage over Israel's detonation of pagers worn by members of his group throughout Lebanon, according to his son. Days later, Nasrallah himself was assassinated by Israel.
The pager explosions and Nasrallah's killing in an Israeli air attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut in September 2024 turned out to be the opening salvos of an Israeli assault that killed more than 4,000 people across Lebanon and destroyed swathes of the country's south.
The war, which Israel said it conducted to end Hezbollah's cross-border attacks in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza, shook Hezbollah's hold on power in Lebanon, where the group is now under pressure to give up its arms.
Those developments were unimaginable a year ago when Hezbollah's then-leader was confronted with the major intelligence breach in the communication devices that killed dozens of the group's members and maimed thousands of others.
"He was upset, angry, resentful – there was a lot of resentment and thinking, 'How could this happen?' He considered himself entrusted with those lives," Jawad Nasrallah, Nasrallah's second-oldest son, told Reuters in an interview at his father's grave.
Security was tight around Nasrallah at the time. Jawad, like more than a million Lebanese, had been displaced by Israeli air strikes and had not seen his father for three months.
Nasrallah's last televised speech was on September 19. Eight days later, a string of Israeli bunker-busting bombs on a Hezbollah complex in Beirut's southern suburbs killed Nasrallah, who had led the powerful Shi'ite religious, political and military group for more than 30 years.
Family found out about Nasrallah's death on the news
"We found out on the news like everyone else. It was shocking but we couldn't cry - no one in the house could scream or express their feelings," Jawad said, explaining that other tenants in the apartment building where they were temporarily staying were unaware of their links to the Hezbollah leader.
At the time, Israeli strikes targeted displaced Shi'ite dozens of kilometers from Lebanon's southern border, raising the specter of civil war as Sunni or Christian towns regarded fleeing Shi'ite with open suspicion.
"We felt a moment of alienation like everyone else, in addition to the horrors of that time, which was terrible for everyone: war, bombing, brutality - and on top of that, alienation," Jawad said.
With Israel escalating strikes across Lebanon and sending ground troops into its south, Nasrallah's body could not be moved into a morgue for several days before a temporary burial. A formal ceremony was held months later during a truce.
The war with Israel that left Hezbollah badly weakened was followed by the toppling of the group's Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad and a new government in Lebanon that has pledged to enforce a state monopoly on all arms.
Hezbollah has refused to give up its arsenal - a stance that Jawad, a businessman with no formal position in the group but who is sanctioned by the US, reiterated.
"Never in your fantasies or dreams," he said, adding that he still asks his father for guidance.
"I ask him to solve some dilemmas. I tell him: 'You have to solve this problem for us and help me with it,'" he said.

Raouché and the Politics of Suicide: Hezbollah’s Theatrics of Decline
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/September 26/2025
The spectacle that unfolded at Beirut’s Raouché Rock was not an ordinary event. It was not simply a light show or a commemorative act. It was a political maneuver by Hezbollah, a message of defiance to the Lebanese state, its institutions, and indeed the international community. What the party tried to frame as a tribute to its “martyrs” was, in fact, a reminder that Hezbollah remains a militia above the law, dragging Lebanon further into political paralysis and international isolation.
The danger lies not in the laser beams projected onto the rock, but in the message behind them: that weapons are the ultimate arbiter in Lebanon, and that defying state authority remains Hezbollah’s modus operandi. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, through a formal government decision, had explicitly banned such stunts, limiting activities to gatherings near the site. Yet Hezbollah, led visibly by Wafic Safa—better known for storming the Justice Palace and threatening the Beirut port blast investigator—openly defied that order. The act revealed once again the militia’s disregard for state authority, and its reliance on intimidation and theatrics to sustain political dominance.
Hezbollah began its political life steeped in organized crime, assassinations, and illicit networks, and it continues to rely on those methods today. Its Raouché spectacle was not about honoring the dead, but about mocking the living—especially the thousands of Lebanese who were displaced, impoverished, and stripped of dignity by the very policies and wars Hezbollah championed. Far from being a tribute, the display exposed the party’s existential crisis. Instead of demonstrating strength, it showed desperation: the inability to convince even its own community that clinging to weapons serves any national cause. What the party projects as defiance is, in reality, the admission of a lost wager. By continuing to equate resistance with the perpetuation of arms, Hezbollah only proves that it has no political project beyond violence and subservience to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The greatest casualty of this performance was not Lebanon’s skyline, but its credibility. For investors, diplomats, and partners abroad, the message was unmistakable: Lebanon remains a risky and losing bet so long as a non-state militia dictates the rules of politics and economics.
Lebanon’s institutions once again looked weak. The military, the police, and the judiciary all stood by as a militia usurped national symbols. Yet the issue is not mere incompetence; it is structural. The state is not absent, but paralyzed, shackled by the reality of arms it cannot control. This is why symbolism matters: a laser on Raouché is not trivial—it is a test of whether the state can uphold its word on something as basic as public property and national monuments.
If the Lebanese government cannot impose its authority in the heart of Beirut, how can it credibly enforce sovereignty on the border or guarantee security across the country? The rule of law begins with small acts of accountability. By tolerating such open violations, the state reinforces the culture of impunity that has corroded Lebanon for decades.
The incident at Raouché must be understood as part of Hezbollah’s broader strategy to undermine the August 5 resolution calling for its disarmament. By projecting an image of control and normalcy, the party seeks to convince both its base and its opponents that the decision is meaningless. Yet in doing so, it exposes its greatest vulnerability: the realization that the Lebanese question is no longer whether Hezbollah should disarm, but how and when.
This is precisely why Hezbollah resorts to theatrics. Guns and intimidation may silence opponents temporarily, but they cannot substitute for a sustainable political project. The more the party flexes its muscles in Beirut, the more it alienates both Lebanese society and the international community.
Equally troubling is Hezbollah’s attempt to frame this confrontation as a Sunni-Shia dispute, even projecting images tied to Rafik Hariri—a man whose assassination was linked to Hezbollah operatives. By doing so, the party insults not only Hariri’s memory, but also the intelligence of the Lebanese public. It reduces national debate to sectarian posturing, while avoiding accountability for the devastation it has inflicted: the destruction of Beirut’s port, the collapse of the banking sector, and the international isolation caused by its drug networks and proxy wars.
What was once resistance has become racketeering. What was once portrayed as sacrifice has become profiteering. The Raouché show epitomizes this transformation.
International reactions, including from the United States, underscore a growing impatience. Donors and partners are unlikely to pour money into a country where the state cannot enforce its own rules. This is a decisive moment: either Lebanon demonstrates that it can uphold law and order, or it risks permanent classification as a failed state. For the Lebanese Armed Forces to retain international support, it must stay the course on its disarmament plan while also handling “small” provocations like Raouché. Symbolic infractions, if ignored, become precedents that hollow out state authority.
Hezbollah’s acrobatics at Raouché were not a show of strength, but of weakness. A militia that once thrived on the mythology of resistance now resorts to light shows to assert relevance. Its victories are empty, its theatrics transient, its message hollow. The only true victory for Lebanon will come when the state reclaims full sovereignty—when the rule of law, not the rule of the gun, governs public life.Like the fleeting light that illuminated the rock, Hezbollah’s display will fade. The question is whether the Lebanese state will seize the moment to assert itself, or remain a spectator in its own capital.
**Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

Slaim Launches Accountability Process Against "The Party" and Those Who Failed to Comply
Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025  (Translated from Arabic)
Prime Minister Nof Slaim regained the initiative yesterday in response to the coup attempt carried out by Hezbollah on Thursday in the Raoucheh area. His stance against this coup attempt and his decision to address it through the state and its institutions received widespread support from official, political, parliamentary, and public figures. Prime Minister Slaim told his visitors: "I canceled my appointments on Friday, but I wasn't in seclusion; I wanted to devote my time to examining the reasons and repercussions of the illumination of the Raoucheh rock." He added: "Until the last minute, the Interior Minister and I were trying to ensure that the commemoration would take place according to the law, and Hezbollah's response was that they would abide by the permit, but they didn't!"
The Ministerial Meeting and Necessary Measures
The consultative ministerial meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Slaim at the Grand Serail and attended by all members of the government, stated that what happened the day before was "a blatant violation of the terms of the permit issued for the gathering in the Raoucheh area, which compels us to take the necessary legal measures to uphold the authority of the state and respect its decisions," according to the statement issued after the meeting.
The statement also held the security forces accountable, stating that the ministers emphasized the importance of applying the law to all citizens without exception, which imposes a significant responsibility on the security forces to ensure this. Lebanese citizens are equal before the law, and the state does not discriminate between one citizen and another, or between one group of citizens and another. Nidaa Al-Watan learned that the meetings Slaim held at his residence on Monday afternoon were spontaneous and aimed at supporting the authority of the state against the power grab by the militia. Slaim appeared resolute in his determination not to back down from taking accountability measures against those who violated the decision. The idea was floated that Salam should travel to Beirut to offer prayers, surrounded by Sunni MPs and community leaders, but this idea was abandoned because the battle is not a Sunni-Shia or Beirut-centric one; rather, it is a purely national struggle between those who support the principles of the state, the rule of law, and institutions, and those who want to perpetuate chaos, undermine institutions, and act like a rogue, lawless entity.
"The Party" from Coexistence to Coup
Political sources told "Nidaa Al-Watan" that Hezbollah, in this latest move, has transitioned from a phase of coexistence with the state to one of confrontation. Consequently, Lebanon has entered a phase of political chaos. They questioned: "We will see what the state's stance will be. Will we enter a new stalemate, meaning that Hezbollah succeeded in halting its momentum, as happened on May 7, 2008? However, the circumstances have changed, and Hezbollah is now in a weakened and defeated position, while Israel continues to target it."
Washington and the Disarming of Hezbollah
Meanwhile, while the US was awaiting the army's report on its progress in disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani River on October 5, Hezbollah's demonstration, which defied a government decision, cast a shadow over the American scene. Some compare the army's handling of the Roché protest to the events in Ain el-Remmane, noting that yesterday's actions were an unsuccessful move by the security forces.
Aoun Concludes New York Visit
On another note, President Aoun concluded his visit to New York with a meeting with US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, who reiterated US support for the Lebanese army, in accordance with the agreed-upon program. From New York, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his address to the UN General Assembly, called on Lebanon to enter into direct negotiations with Israel, stating that "if the Lebanese government manages to disarm Hezbollah, peace will prevail between us and Lebanon." Parliamentary Session on Monday
On another note, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri called for a plenary session to be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, September 29, 2025, to discuss the pending bills and proposals, without any mention of the electoral process.
Riad Salameh Released
Meanwhile, former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh was released from detention at the Bahnas Hospital under tight security measures, away from the media cameras. The Public Prosecutor's Office had ordered his release after he paid a cash bail of $14 million.
Salameh's lawyer, Mark Habbouka, stated in front of Bahnas Hospital that "Salameh's release marks a new chapter in his trial, which has been marred by fabricated and baseless accusations." He added, "We hope that Salameh will be tried according to the law." Regarding the source of the bail money, Habbouka explained that "Judge Hajjaj, the Public Prosecutor, conducted a legal procedure to verify the source of the funds, which is a routine procedure." He continued, "Starting next week, we will take legal action against anyone who violates the confidentiality of the investigation or attempts to influence the judiciary through populist rhetoric."Habbouka concluded, "This decision violates the law and Article 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and establishes a dangerous precedent that infringes on the rights of any person in pre-trial detention. However, out of respect for the court, we complied with the decision, and we will appeal it at a later stage."

The Heiba ​​Series
Imad Musa/Nida Al-Watan/September 27, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Before constitutions and their articles, authority is based on prestige. And if necessity allows what is forbidden, then there is nothing wrong with a "slap on the cheek," a "slap on the neck," a "kick," or a cane on the back of whoever disobeys. Authority comes by birth, like eye color, nose shape, ear shape, lip shape, intelligence, stubbornness, and all other fierce and conciliatory traits. In politics, authority is a decisive, firm, and uncompromising stance against anything that infringes on sovereignty, such as the stance of Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajeh against the recent ramblings of the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution. Authority is the opposite of weakness. Authority means that a Lebanese official confronts Mr. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who said a few days ago in a television interview: "Supplying Hezbollah with missiles is not impossible," and that the Iranian ambassador should be sent back to his country on a missile if necessary. Authority means obliging the American mediator, Tom Brake, and any mediator, to respect the limits of mediation and decorum, and obliging Qalibaf to apologize for such statements: "If I were the leader of Hezbollah, I would wage war against Israel to a depth of 100 to 200 kilometers."
If I were in the place of his colleague Nabih Berri, I would tell him in a commanding tone: "Go play in front of your house!"
Authority means that the Lebanese government takes a decision that will be implemented. Authority prevents the thugs of the "Hezbollah" militia from undermining the prime minister's directive. No, rather, from trampling it underfoot. Authority, if it exists, reduces a person like Wafiq Safa, or anyone of his arrogance, to his true size. Authority without weapons is stronger than weapons without authority. Authority has something of the rugged masculinity of the mountain sheikh. With a single, decisive word, he ends the confrontation before it even begins. And he makes his people respect him! "Oh, what a memory!" exclaimed Mathilde, reminiscing about the handsome screen idol and his unforgettable catchphrases, such as "I'll show him what a real man is!" and "Go crawl back under your mother's apron until she breastfeeds you again!" The authority of the Lebanese state, if it exists at all, is always misplaced: arrogance where humility is required, and a humiliating weakness where firm action is needed. Authority is a stern father's frown at a misbehaving child, or a mother's piercing scream in a peaceful neighborhood when public order needs to be enforced in the absence of her husband. Authority is one policeman imposing order in an entire, lawless ghetto. Today, the state's authority is mere pretense, compromise, and illusion—until proven otherwise. The promising state has failed its entrance exams, just as it has failed in the past. It has been "ruined" for over half a century, as both the living and the dead can attest. So when will the grandchildren of the martyrs and the children of those who endured see the first episode of this long-awaited series about state authority?

"Wafiq Safa" celebrates "Asnad" faction's defeat by exploiting state weakness
Tony Atiyeh/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Wafiq Safa has every right to revel in and savor this temporary victory amidst the great catastrophe. This man takes pleasure in humiliating legitimate institutions—security, military, and judicial. Internal battles are his preferred battlefield, as if they are an alternative front to compensate for the relentless stream of defeats inflicted upon him by Israel. The "Avichai" complex, which once outlined his plan for escape, relocation, and hiding, has left a deep mark on him, transforming him into "Wafiq-Avichai"; his record is devoid of integrity or honor, consisting solely of intimidation, threats against judges, and terrorizing the Lebanese people. On the night the security and military apparatus—which threw itself off the cliff of disgrace—was humiliated, and Prime Minister Nofal Salam is trying to salvage what remains of it with his firm and courageous stance, "Wafiq-Avichai" appeared surrounded by supporters of his party, acting as a morale booster for his "wounded" faction. Remarkably, the impact of his presence now surpasses that of the party's secretary-general, Sheikh Naem Qassem. For these people, he is the one who "disciplines the state" and dictates its boundaries of intervention and distance. Wafiq Safa should have been in the custody of the security forces and brought to justice long ago for storming the courthouse and threatening Judge Tarek al-Bitar. Instead, he walks around freely, overseeing this "challenge festival," and mocks those demanding disarmament and those who are supposed to enforce the law—the security forces, who are just meters away from him. In sync with the chant "Shia, Shia, Shia," born of arrogance and a sense of superiority, he escalated his mockery of the military and public opinion, repeatedly shouting "Saki, Saki!"—a phrase associated with weapons. This man never misses an opportunity to ridicule the state, and he doesn't hesitate to challenge its legitimate institutions, in a constant display of deliberate bullying. This scene, which outraged a large segment of Lebanese people, revealed the depth of the complex of weakness and fear that paralyzes the state in the face of Hezbollah. It occurred simultaneously with the international community gathered at the United Nations, where President Aoun was trying to project an image of a country recovering from its crises, committed to legitimacy and international resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement. But back home, Wafiq Safa was literally undermining this external discourse and political maneuvering, turning the corniche into a platform to undermine the authority of institutions and a blatant test of their ability to implement any international commitment. Thus, the scene appeared as if there were two powers: one lecturing on law and institutions in New York, and the other mocking them on the Beirut waterfront. Hezbollah doesn't care what officials say or commit to abroad, as long as its grip on power at home remains unbroken. With this provocative behavior, Wafiq Safa validated Tom Barrett's statement that "all Lebanon does is talk, and no real action ever takes place; and that they are afraid to disarm Hezbollah because they believe it would lead to a civil war." On the other hand, it has become clear that the legitimate authorities are struggling to counter Hezbollah's narrative about maintaining internal peace, which it uses as a pretext to justify its possession of weapons that it has never used against Israel, while simultaneously threatening an internal explosion to intimidate the state. The "Rousheh demonstration" was not merely a symbolic display; it was a stark demonstration of the state's collapse and its inability to enforce even a simple administrative order. So how can it possibly dare to take the much larger step of disarming Hezbollah?

"The Party" Loves "Chaos"!
Sana Al-Jaak/Nida Al-Watan/September 27, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Did Hezbollah make a mistake by choosing this title, assuming that Beirut is Tel Aviv, and Nawaf Salam is Netanyahu?
Of course not. But as a defeated entity, it knows it has no capacity to confront Israel, which takes pleasure in killing its members at will. Therefore, it resorted to insults and empty bravado, gathering a group of thugs on demand, and took them out for a show of force on the Corniche... And "the Party" loves "chaos." How much more so if this "chaos" is a pointless, ostentatious, and vulgar display, an attempt to replicate the sit-in in downtown Beirut mixed with the May 7th raid, albeit without any real impact. No matter, the important thing is for the public to vent its frustrations, whether by riding motorcycles or heading towards the sea... and certainly not towards Haifa. "The Party" wants this public to forget that the assassination of its two secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Din, was due to its failure, its weak military and intelligence capabilities, its lack of preparedness, and its infiltration by agents from within, not just Israeli superiority.
But why the Corniche?
The answer is simple: commemorating the event in the southern suburbs would have passed unnoticed without any security problems or provocations. This contradicts the objectives of "the Party," which seeks to blame others for its defeat. Therefore, Nawaf Salam was chosen—not because of who he is, nor because of any doubt about his patriotism, Arab identity, or integrity, but because accusing him of being a "Zionist" benefits "the Party" on multiple levels. With this accusation, he aims to deepen the Sunni/Shiite conflict, which is essential for the "Party's" survival, as it serves to strengthen its base and expand its influence. He also seeks to cripple the executive branch, thus keeping Lebanon mired in chaos and instability. He fears that a stable Lebanon would undermine his own role and that of his Iranian patron. He wants to thwart any efforts that suggest the state can restore stability, thereby preventing Lebanon from regaining the trust of the international and Arab communities, and consequently, securing aid for reconstruction and economic development. He knows, of course, that what he has done to Lebanon will not restore his power; Lebanon will remain weak and unable to confront Israel, which humiliates it daily. But this guarantees his role as a destabilizing force. Nothing more, nothing less. Netanyahu will not be deterred or change his ways because of a demonstration in Raouche, laser lights, and pleasure boats drifting to the rhythm of insults and hatred. The empty rhetoric and attempts to disguise the destructive nature of the action, or the attempt to fool the people of the capital by using the image of President Rafik Hariri—whose assassination by members of the Party is well-documented—are of little consequence. What matters is that the "Party" has seemingly scored a point for itself and dealt a blow to the state and its institutions, intoxicating its supporters with a false sense of victory. But what is even more important is how the state uses the Raouche demonstration to recalibrate its course. The "Party," which has reneged on its commitments and once again proven its lack of credibility, has given the state a golden opportunity to implement its decisions... And those who don't like it can go and complain in Raouche.

Nawaf Isn't a Branchless Tree
Samar Zreik/Nidaa Al-Watan/September 27, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Following the Roché Rock incident, the prevailing impression among a wide segment of the population across the political spectrum was that President Nawaf Salam had embroiled himself in a losing battle, and that it would have been better to ignore the event and deal with it in the traditional Lebanese way: "Let it pass, let it go." This sentiment reflects a mindset instilled by Hezbollah through force and coercion over the past three and a half decades, aimed at undermining the dignity of the state and bending laws to its will. Dealing with Hezbollah has become based on the firmly entrenched idea that it is an unalterable fact of life, and the only solution is to appease it. This deeply ingrained mindset within the state structure was the main reason for President Salam's actions. Hezbollah, through this incident, sought only to reinforce this mindset, and would have done so regardless of whether there was a government decision or not. Therefore, what happened bears the hallmarks of a coup by a rebellious militia against legitimacy—not against President Salam personally, nor even against the position of Prime Minister, but against the very process of state revival. There is a famous scene from the Egyptian film "Al-Jazira," which revolves around the conflict between the state and parallel structures controlling the drug trade, whose power is based on covert and self-serving alliances with law enforcement. In this scene, the actor Ahmed El Sakka says, "From today, there is no government... I am the government." This scene encapsulates what happened at Roché, particularly the rare public appearance of Wafiq Safa in a scene that embodies all the characteristics of bullying and lawlessness. A short distance from the site of Hezbollah's assassination of President Rafik Hariri, amidst the roar of explosives and a palpable atmosphere of hatred, the appearance of Wafeeq Safa carried profound symbolism. From his black attire, reminiscent of the coup attempt against Prime Minister Saad Hariri, to leading a group of men on motorcycles—evoking the spirit of May 7th and challenging Beirut's identity and its status as a symbol of legitimacy—and provoking its citizens with sectarian slogans and insults. This culminated in his deliberate, arrogant appearance in a video, replete with personal attacks on the Prime Minister while he leisurely sipped coffee, followed by his televised statement thanking the Army Commander and the Director General of Internal Security. Both appearances conveyed a message: "I am the one in control." This "calculated" act of gratitude, along with the accompanying news of a meeting with the Army Commander, aimed to demonstrate that the security institutions remain under the control of Safa and his party, not the government. This lends credence to reports in Western media outlets about collaboration between high-ranking officers and Hezbollah, at the expense of the state. In reality, the actions of some security institutions on that day raise many questions, extending from the streets of Beirut to Riyadh, New York, and Washington. This is particularly concerning as it is the second time they have refused to implement a government decision. This also casts doubt on the performance of the ministers responsible for overseeing these institutions, especially after the Defense Ministry statement revealed a lack of unity within the cabinet. All these factors combine to support Hezbollah's coup against legitimacy, portray the Prime Minister as weak and isolated, and increase pressure on him to resign or be ousted. However, Prime Minister Tammam Salam is not alone. He is waging the battle to rebuild the state with exceptional determination, relying on strong parliamentary support and a broad internal coalition comprising both mainstream and reformist political figures, emerging elites and groups, and representatives of various political and intellectual currents, as well as major religious institutions, excluding those controlled by the militia. He also enjoys significant international, Arab, and particularly Saudi support. But the battle is a series of skirmishes. While the militia managed to win a round, masking its repeated defeats, after Nabih Berri once again revealed himself to be a protector of the sectarian entity rather than a reliable partner, Prime Minister Salam is studying a range of political and legal solutions and tools to address the government's lackluster performance. Simultaneously, he is consolidating his core base of support, with a growing number of individual and collective statements emerging to bolster his decisions and actions. He is also preparing to confront the remnants of the "party" within the deep state apparatus and combat the prevailing mentality of normalization with it, which is a crucial prerequisite for winning the battle to rebuild the state. In football, the match isn't over until the referee blows the final whistle, and the same applies to the conflict between the state and the sectarian entity, which benefits from its longstanding alliances with certain members of the "mafia-militia" duo who seek to reassert their influence. The ball is in play, and the match is still in its early stages.

Netanyahu at UN: Israel ‘must finish job’ in Gaza; Trump: Deal near, hostages could soon be freed
Ynetnews/September 26/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147676/
PM address sparked walkouts and protests as he vowed to defeat Hamas, rejected Palestinian statehood and accused Western leaders of weakness; wearing hostage pin, he warned Hamas to surrender, praised Trump, and said Israel is fighting ‘your war’.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech Friday to the UN General Assembly, rejecting international pressure to halt the war in Gaza and declaring that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas.
“Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure,” Netanyahu told delegates. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”

Lebanese government vows to rein in Hezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock display
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/September 26/2025
BEIRUT: The Lebanese government pledged swift legal action after Hezbollah brazenly defied an official ban, projecting images of its late leaders onto Beirut’s landmark Raouche Rock, a public display that has reignited fierce debate over state authority and deepened political tensions across the country.
The expanded consultative ministerial council, led by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail, condemned Thursday’s event as “a clear breach of the permit” granted for the gathering, and pledged to take necessary measures to protect the prestige of the state and its decisions. Ministers stressed the government’s commitment to Lebanon’s stability and social cohesion, vowing to counter divisive rhetoric and halt hate campaigns that threaten national integrity. “The policy the government committed to in its ministerial statement calls for extending the sovereignty of the Lebanese state with its own forces across all its territories, and … enforcing the laws on all citizens without exception,” it said, adding that this places “great responsibility” on security services to deliver on this mandate. “The Lebanese are equal before the law, and the state does not discriminate between one citizen and another, or between one group of citizens and another.” The ministers of defense, interior, and justice attended the Grand Serail at Salam’s request for an emergency meeting, which later expanded to include Minister of Labor Mohammed Haidar (Hezbollah’s representative in the government) and Minister of Finance Yassin Jaber (representing the Amal Movement), along with a number of other ministers. Discourse intensified Friday morning regarding Hezbollah’s violation of the official ban on using national monuments for “propaganda purposes and to hold activities in which partisan and political slogans are raised” by lighting the Raouche Rock with images of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. Hezbollah party supporters launched a campaign of insults on social media against the prime minister, openly challenging his decision.
Salam canceled all his appointments on Friday, a move initially perceived by the media as a retreat. However, he quickly informed his ministerial and parliamentary visitors that he “wanted to devote himself to following up on the Raouche Rock issue,” emphasizing the necessity of holding accountable those who violated the Lebanese state’s decision. In a firm statement issued Thursday night in response to Hezbollah’s defiance, Salam condemned the event as “a clear violation” of the prohibition on illuminating Raouche Rock and projecting images on it.
Salam described Hezbollah’s actions as a breach of “the explicit commitments of the organizing party and its supporters, and is considered a new lapse on their part, negatively impacting their credibility.” He asserted that “this reprehensible behavior will not deter us from the decision to rebuild a state of law and institutions, but rather increases our determination to fulfill this national duty.”Salam directed the interior, justice, and defense ministers to “take appropriate measures,” including arresting those responsible and subjecting them to investigation and prosecution under applicable laws.
Minister of Justice Adel Nassar confirmed that the Public Prosecution is working with security services to identify those involved, regardless of political considerations. He said that “the law applies to everyone without discrimination.”
In response to Hezbollah’s defiance, Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel, after meeting with Salam, said: “The question today is: Is there a state or not? Will Hezbollah accept the state’s conditions, or does it want to remain above them? Our battle is to restrict weapons, not to light the Rock of Raouche.”
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea praised Salam’s “ongoing efforts to establish the desired state,” adding that “Hezbollah has learned nothing from everything that has happened. What happened at the Raouche Rock constitutes an additional black mark on Hezbollah’s record.”
MP Melhem Khalaf also weighed in, saying: “Hezbollah cannot participate in a government while violating its decisions.”Sami Abi Al-Mona, Sheikh Aql of the Druze community, emphasized the importance of “strengthening the state’s role, preserving its prestige, and developing the work of its institutions in accordance with the Taif Agreement.”MP Michel Moawad described what happened at Raouche Rock as “a political May 7 against the state, its institutions, and the people of Beirut,” noting that “Hezbollah’s weapons are not directed against Israel,” and highlighting ongoing disputes over arms control, which Hezbollah appears to reject. In parallel, the Israeli army carried out a series of raids on Friday on the eastern mountain range at border sites straddling Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that Israeli forces “attacked a Hezbollah precision missile production site in the Bekaa Valley, and that the presence of this targeted site constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The army will continue to work to eliminate any threat to the state of Israel.”

Qassem and Barrack… The Worst Is Yet to Come
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 26/2025
In Beirut, the next phase is no longer shrouded in secrecy. The question is no longer whether a new war will erupt but when? Everyone is asking “Emta el-harb,” (when’s the war in colloquial Lebanese. The question is “trending” on social media as part of a dangerous game to fragment Lebanon. At a time when the country is highly vulnerable to domestic collapse and foreign hostility, US Envoy Tom Barrack has now become part of the problem, placing himself at the center of the Lebanese people’s questions and crisis.
Before Barrack’s statements and tweets, and before the speeches of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, the torrent of officials’ (whether at home or abroad) statements about sovereignty, reform, monopoly of arms, civil peace, coexistence, development, economy, reconstruction... had fallen on deaf ears. Neither Lebanese nor their friends abroad take them seriously. The truth is that the Lebanese Republic, as a state and as a people, has reached an impasse that only divine intervention could break. Meanwhile, the foreign actors have either given up or decided to apply diplomatic pressure.
Or perhaps, as some reports suggest, Ambassador Barrack will be removed from his post in Lebanon within the month, and managing Lebanon could become the job of the National Security Council in Washington as the (ceasefire monitoring) “Mechanism” committee takes on a broader role, granting the military a bigger role and allowing Morgan Ortagus to return to her position in Lebanon.
Regardless of whether Barrack’s departure is indeed imminent, his recent remarks about the arms of Hezbollah, Iran, and the Lebanese state’s failure to enforce its own decisions reflected the conclusion that the Americans have reached: betting on the state is no longer tenable. Barrack came close to explicitly saying that chemotherapy is the only remedy on the table. The implications are evident: Tel Aviv should do what the Lebanese state cannot do, neither by force nor by consensus.
In effect, Barrack blew up the safety valves the Lebanese had been relying on. His latest ambiguous tweet about supporting Lebanon’s efforts, state-building, and peace with its neighbors did not compensate. Lebanon, which is already deadlocked, has failed to engage in constructive dialogue with its “new” Syrian neighbor and resolve the grievances of the past; how could we expect it to find a way to negotiate with the enemy? Washington, which is fully behind Tel Aviv's positions, has cornered official Lebanon by refusing to exert any pressure on Tel Aviv. On the contrary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is demanding a copy of the Lebanese army’s report on the government’s plan to seize Hezbollah’s arms- a request which raises fears that Washington and Tel Aviv could escalate if they are not convinced by the army’s report, and the worst is yet to come.
For his part, Sheikh Naim Qassem is also part of this trajectory. When he publicly proposed reconciliation with Riyadh, he was sending messages to local and foreign forces, signaling that the party has recovered and stands ready to press on. Its claim to have swiftly recuperated was also a threat to local actors: no one should think of approaching our arsenal weapons. On the surface, it was warning Tel Aviv: the party is back on its feet, and it is ready for anything. To the Arab states, Qassem signaled that a Hezbollah comeback could be part of a new framework imposed by the assault on Doha. All of these questions hinge on domestic and foreign considerations, not just the whims of Naim Qassem. Thus, between Barrack the businessman, who seeks a settlement that is no longer within reach, Sheikh Naim Qassem, who is boasting of his party’s recovery, and Tel Aviv, which believes that pragmatism rooted in economic gain undercuts to its schemes (and poses a threat that cannot be allowed to fester) the worst yet to come.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 26-27/2025
Details of Trump’s 21-point peace plan for Gaza revealed
Al Arabiya English/26 September/2025
Al Arabiya has obtained a copy of US President Donald Trump’s 21-point plan to end the war in Gaza, a roadmap that US officials say will be presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming days when the latter travels to the White House.
The proposal was discussed this week during Trump’s meetings in New York with senior officials from Arab and Muslim nations. Diplomats familiar with the talks said the plan envisions an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a phased transfer of authority in Gaza. Officials said the plan will be difficult to reject given its sequencing of humanitarian relief, political concessions, and security guarantees.
Key provisions of the plan
According to the document, the first steps include:
An immediate end to hostilities in Gaza.
The unconditional release of all hostages.
The release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including between 100 and 200 serving harsh sentences.
The unhindered entry of humanitarian aid delivered by international organizations and the UN.
The plan also calls for the closure of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the collection of Hamas weapons by an international, Arab force within a time-bound framework. In exchange, Hamas members would be pardoned if they agreed to disarm and leave Gaza.
Governance and reconstruction
Under the roadmap, Gaza would be administered temporarily by an international, Arab security force. A Palestinian committee under the Palestinian Authority (PA) would be established to oversee day-to-day governance, with the PA expected to assume full control for a set timeframe. Safe humanitarian corridors would be created across the Strip, while reconstruction of Gaza would take place over five years, managed by an international and Arab consortium.
The United States would guarantee that Israel refrains from annexing the West Bank, while both sides would commit to resuming final-status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
The entire plan is contingent upon Hamas agreeing to hand over its weapons and leave Gaza, according to the draft.

UAE FM to warn Israel’s Netanyahu against annexation in New York meeting: Official
Al Arabiya English/27 September/2025
The UAE’s top diplomat will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday evening to brief him on US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and deliver a warning over any move to annex the West Bank, an Emirati official told Al Arabiya English. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is set to meet Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Earlier in the day, Netanyahu slammed countries that recognized the State of Palestine this week and attempted to slam the door shut on any efforts for a two-state solution or put an end to the war in Gaza. But Sheikh Abdullah will discuss Trump’s “courageous plan,” which was presented to Arab and Muslim leaders during a meeting this week. “His Highness will stress the historic opportunity this represents for Palestinians, Israelis, and the wider region, and the urgency of rallying behind President Trump’s bold leadership to achieve this necessary breakthrough,” an Emirati official told Al Arabiya English. While Israel has vowed to annex the West Bank, Gulf states, including those that have normalized ties with Israel, have warned that this would constitute a red line. The UAE, a member of the Abraham Accords brokered under the first Trump administration, has said there would be consequences. Trump also pledged not to allow Israel to annex the West Bank. He will meet with Netanyahu at the White House next week to discuss ending the war in Gaza. The Emirati official told Al Arabiya English that Sheikh Abdullah would reaffirm Abu Dhabi’s commitment to the accords as well as the potential to broaden them. But he will also convey the UAE’s “grave concern over recent developments, including actions that threaten the prospects for a two-state solution. “He will caution against dangerous steps, such as the blatant attack on Qatar, and annexation, that could put at risk this historic achievement,” the official added. Additionally, the Emirati foreign minister is expected to underline the urgent need to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ensure it reaches civilians quickly and effectively. Al Arabiya English earlier published details of Trump’s plan, which includes an immediate end to the war and the release of hostages from Gaza.

Erdogan says reached understanding with Trump on ceasefire in Gaza, lasting peace
Reuters, Ankara/ 26 September/2025
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he reached an understanding with US President Donald Trump on how to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace in Gaza and Palestine after talks at the White House on Thursday. “Our meeting was very important in terms of putting forth the will to end the massacres in Gaza. Mr Trump stated during the meeting the need to end fighting in Gaza and reach lasting peace,” Erdogan was cited as telling reporters according to a transcript shared by his office on Friday. For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page. “We explained how a ceasefire can be achieved in Gaza and the whole of Palestine, and lasting peace afterwards. An understanding was reached there,” he added. “We said that the two-state solution was the formula for lasting peace in the region, that the current situation cannot continue.”Erdogan also said the participation of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the United Nations General Assembly was very important for the global legitimacy of the new Syrian government.

Tony Blair could lead transitional authority in Gaza: reports
Arab News/September 26, 2025
LONDON: Former UK prime minister Tony Blair could take a leading role in a transitional authority for Gaza under US-led peace plans, various British media reported on Friday. It follows Blair’s involvement in discussions with the administration of US President Donald Trump and others over the post-war transitional body for the Palestinian territory. The plan could involve Blair leading the authority with the support of the UN and Gulf nations, according to the BBC and The Economist magazine. The Financial Times reported that the former UK leader, who worked as a Middle East peace mediator formally from 2007 to 2015, had asked to be on its supervisory board. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a non-profit organization, declined to comment to AFP on the stories. Israeli media reports last week about his involvement in the US-led peace plan prompted sources close to Blair to confirm that he has been working on a scheme to halt the conflict alongside other parties. However, they noted he would not support any proposal to permanently displace Gazans, and that any transitional governing body for the territory would ultimately hand power back to the Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the West Bank.
In its report, The Economist said that a body to be known as the “Gaza International Transitional Authority” would seek a UN mandate to be the “supreme political and legal authority” for five years, before handing control to Palestinians.
The authority would have a secretariat of up to 25 people and a seven-person board, it added. It would initially be based in Egypt, near Gaza’s southern border, before transferring to Gaza once it is secure, the BBC said. Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen told BBC Radio on Friday that “I love” the idea, calling Blair a “wonderful person.”“If he is willing to take this responsibility, which is huge, I think... there is a hope” for Gaza, he added.“I think that he can bear that burden strongly.”Blair’s involvement would inevitably raise eyebrows given his involvement in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. An official UK inquiry into the conflict found he had acted on flawed intelligence when deciding to join the war.Blair reportedly joined a White House meeting with Trump in August to discuss plans for post-war Gaza. Trump has floated plans to make Gaza the “Riviera of the Middle East,” involving the forced displacement of Palestinians in the territory.

Trump says ‘I think we have a deal’ on Gaza
AFP/26 September/2025
US President Donald Trump said Friday he believed that a deal had been struck to end the war on Gaza, following recent talks with Israel and Arab states. “I think we have a deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza, I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back, it’s going to be a deal that will end the war.”

Pakistan PM appeals for India talks, hails Trump role
AFP/Published: 26 September/2025
Pakistan’s leader said Friday he was ready for talks with India and hailed the role of US President Donald Trump, who has been peeved by New Delhi’s reticence on his diplomacy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the United Nations a day after he met with Trump at the White House alongside Pakistani military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has told the US leader he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for a ceasefire in Pakistan’s May conflict with India. “Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues. South Asia requires proactive rather than provocative leadership,” Sharif said in his speech to the UN General Assembly. Sharif called Trump’s leadership “bold and visionary.”Had Trump not intervened in a timely way and “decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic,” he said.
In May, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered attacks on Pakistani military sites after suspected Islamist gunmen massacred civilians, almost all Hindus, in divided Kashmir. Pakistan denied responsibility and Sharif, in his speech on Friday, claimed victory against what he described as aggression. “India came shrouded in arrogance but we sent them back in humiliation, delivering a bloody nose,” he said. Trump announced a ceasefire after four days of fighting, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying India and Pakistan would hold talks on their disagreements at a neutral site. Modi played down any role by Trump. The once-tight US relationship with India has since soured, with Trump slapping tariffs over India’s purchases of oil from Russia. Trump’s embrace of Pakistan in turn marks a shift after former US president Joe Biden kept the country at arm’s length, alarmed by Islamabad’s relationship with the Taliban during the two-decade US war in Afghanistan. Shortly before the May conflict, a company run by the Trump family signed an agreement with Pakistan on cryptocurrency. Pakistan has long sought an international role on Kashmir but India has refused and claims the whole Himalayan territory, which has a Muslim majority but significant Hindu minority.

UN Security Council rejects Russia and China’s last-ditch effort to delay Iran sanctions
Arab News/September 26, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Friday rejected another last-ditch effort to delay the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program a day before the deadline and after Western countries claimed that weeks of meetings failed to result in a “concrete” agreement. The resolution put forth by Russia and China — Iran’s most powerful and closest allies on the 15-member council — failed to garner support from the nine countries required to halt the series of UN sanctions from taking effect Saturday, as outlined in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. “We had hoped that European colleagues and the US would think twice, and they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialogue instead of their clumsy blackmail, which merely results in escalation of the situation in the region,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, the deputy Russian ambassador to the UN, said during the meeting.
Barring an eleventh-hour deal, the reinstatement of sanctions — triggered by Britain, France and Germany — will once again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures. That will further squeeze the country’s reeling economy. The move is expected to heighten already magnified tensions between Iran and the West. It’s unclear how Iran will respond, given that in the past, officials have threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, potentially following North Korea, which abandoned the treaty in 2003 and then built atomic weapons. Four countries — China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria — once again supported giving Iran more time to negotiate with the European countries, known as the E3, and the United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the accord with world powers in 2018. “The UShas betrayed diplomacy, but it is the E3 which have buried it,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the vote. “This sordid mess did not come about overnight. Both the E3 and the US have consistently misrepresented Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.”The European leaders triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism last month after accusing Tehran of failing to comply with the conditions of the accord and when weeks of high-level negotiations failed to reach a diplomatic resolution.
Lots of diplomacy as deadline nears
Since the 30-day clock began, Araghchi, has been meeting with his French, British and German counterparts to strike a last-minute deal, leading up to this week’s UN General Assembly gathering. But those talks appeared futile, with one European diplomat telling the Associated Press on Wednesday that they “did not produce any new developments, any new results.”Therefore, European sources “expect that the snapback procedure will continue as planned.”Even before Araghchi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York on Tuesday for the annual gathering, remarks from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that peace talks with the United States represent “a sheer dead end” constrained any eleventh-hour diplomatic efforts from taking place. Iranian officials have defended their position over the last several weeks, saying that they’ve put forward “multiple proposals to keep the window for diplomacy open.” On Friday, Araghchi said in a social media post that “the E3 has failed to reciprocate” efforts, “while the US has doubled down on its dictates.” He urged the Security Council to vote in favor of an extension to provide the “time and space for diplomacy.”
European nations have said they would be willing to extend the deadline if Iran complies with a series of conditions. Those include resumption of direct negotiations with the US over its nuclear program, allowing UN nuclear inspectors access to its nuclear sites, and accounts for the more than 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of highly enriched uranium the UN watchdog says it has.
Nuclear inspectors said to be currently in Iran
Of all the nations in the world that don’t have nuclear weapons programs, Iran is the only nation in the world that enriches uranium up to 60 percent — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. Earlier this month, the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran signed an agreement mediated by Egypt to pave the way for resuming cooperation, including on ways of relaunching inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, Iran has threatened to terminate that agreement and cut all cooperation with the IAEA should UN sanctions be reimposed. Iran has been wary of giving full access to inspectors following the 12-day war with Israel in June that saw both the Israelis and the Americans bomb Iranian nuclear sites, throwing into question the status of Tehran’s stockpile of uranium enriched nearly to weapons-grade levels. But a diplomat close to the IAEA confirmed on Friday that inspectors are currently in Iran where they are inspecting a second undamaged site, and will not leave the country ahead of the expected reimposition of sanctions this weekend. IAEA inspectors earlier watched a fuel replacement at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Aug. 27 and 28. The Europeans have said this action alone is not enough to halt the sanctions from coming into place Saturday.

What to know about the international flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza
AP/September 27, 2025
ATHENS, Greece: Spain and Italy say they are sending navy ships to where a flotilla of boats carrying activists seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza is sailing, after the activists said they were attacked by drones near Greece. The Global Sumud Flotilla said on Friday it was preparing to set sail on the final leg to Gaza after being targeted by drones and communications jamming, with several explosions occurring on or near some of the boats. Some of the vessels were damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Here’s what to know about the flotilla.
The flotilla’s goal
Organizers say the flotilla includes 52 mostly small vessels carrying activists from dozens of countries. They are carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, mainly food and medicine, for Palestinians in the besieged enclave of Gaza. The 23-month war has led to a humanitarian catastrophe in the territory that has seen much of it reduced to rubble. The world’s leading authority on the food crisis has declared famine in Gaza’s largest city. Activists hope their actions will focus attention on the plight of Palestinians. They say the flotilla is the largest attempt to date to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has now lasted 18 years, long predating the current war in Gaza. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics consider it collective punishment.
The boats’ journey
The core vessels set sail from Spain on Sept. 1, heading east across the Mediterranean Sea, and have been joined by boats from other countries along the way. The flotilla includes larger vessels that are providing support and provisions for smaller boats. Participants include high-profile activists such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, as well as members of Italy’s parliament and the European Parliament. Organizers say delegates from 46 countries had committed to participating, with activists including military veterans, doctors, clergy and lawyers. The bulk of the flotilla was sailing south of the Greek island of Crete on Thursday, heading eastwards. Organizers said they expected to reach the Gaza area within a week.
Drone attacks
Organizers have reported at least three separate instances of participating boats being targeted by drones: twice in Tunisia on Sept. 8 and 9, and once while sailing south of Greece in the early hours of Wednesday. In the latest attack, the flotilla said it was targeted during the night by “unidentified drones and communications jamming.” Activists said “at least 13 explosions” were heard on and around several flotilla boats, while drones or aircraft dropped “unidentified objects” on at least 10 boats. No casualties were reported but there was damage to the vessels and “widespread obstruction in communications,” it added. Thunberg said Thursday that she expects the attacks to intensify in the coming days, adding in an online post: “But we continue undeterred. And the closer we are to Gaza, the bigger grows the risk of escalation toward us.”
Israel vows to block the boats
Israel said Thursday it had no problem with Italy and Spain’s plan to send rescue ships to accompany the flotilla but renewed strong criticism of the aid initiative — warning that the boats would not be allowed to reach Gaza. “The real purpose of this flotilla is provocation and serving Hamas, certainly not humanitarian effort,” Israeli Foreign Ministry official Eden Bar Tal said. “Israel will not allow any vessel to enter the active combat zone.”Bar Tal warned the activists against attempting to reach Gaza. “Any further refusal will put the responsibility on the flotilla organizers,” he said, without elaborating.The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions regarding Wednesday’s drone attack.
Spain and Italy ready navy ships
Italy and Spain said they were sending military ships to provide assistance and possible rescues if needed. Spanish officials said a navy offshore patrol vessel, the Furor, was being prepared to sail from the Mediterranean port of Cartagena. As Premier Giorgia Meloni delivered one of her toughest criticisms of Israel’s actions in Gaza at the UN General Assembly, Italy was also sending an Italian navy ship ready to assist the flotilla if needed. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto urged the flotilla to offload aid instead in Cyprus, suggesting Italy and the Catholic Church could deliver it safely to Palestinians. He emphasized that Italy couldn’t guarantee the flotilla’s security once it entered another country’s waters, noting Israel might view it as a “hostile act.”Flotilla organizers rejected the Cyprus proposal and vowed to continue on to Gaza. The Cyprus proposal is an initiative of Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who has said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem could get the aid into Gaza. The head of the Latin church in Jerusalem is Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who has visited Gaza on a few occasions since the war. On Friday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged the flotilla organizers to reconsider the Cyprus-Pizzaballa option, saying the goal was to get the aid to the people of Gaza and that Pizzaballa’s office could get it there. “Allow me to address — with genuine intensity — an appeal to the women and men aboard the Flotilla to accept the offer of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem — which is also firmly and courageously committed to supporting the people in Gaza — to carry out the safe delivery of the supplies that this effort of solidarity has collected for the children, women and men in Gaza,” Mattarella said in a statement in English and Italian. Cypriot deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said Israel had stated its willingness to accept the aid from Cyprus. “Cyprus is ready to assist if any request for help is made,” he said.
EU warns against use of force
In Athens, activists staged a protest outside the foreign ministry, urging the government to condemn the drone attacks, provide naval protection to the flotilla, and join other European nations in formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. “I think (recognition) is the very least they could do,” protest organizer Mariketi Stasinou told The Associated Press. “But beyond that, more immediate measures are needed to have real impact and show meaningful solidarity with the Palestinian people.”UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called for an investigation, while the European Union also warned against the use of any force. “The freedom of navigation under international law must be upheld,” said Eva Hrncirova, a European Commission spokesperson.
Past attempts to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza
It is not the first time activists trying to break Israel’s Gaza blockade have come under attack.Another vessel said it was attacked by drones in May in international waters off Malta. An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a boat participating in an aid flotilla attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza. Nine Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American on board were killed.
The current war
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Israel says its offensive is aimed at pressuring Hamas to surrender and return the remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive. Most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says around half were women and children.

MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive
AFP/September 26, 2025
GENEVA: Medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) said Friday it had been forced to suspend its work in Gaza City because of the ongoing Israeli offensive there. The statement came after the Israeli military pressed its offensive against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza City, from which hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee. “We have been left with no choice but to stop our activities as our clinics are encircled by Israeli forces,” said Jacob Granger, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza.“This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous, with the most vulnerable people — infants in neo-natal care, those with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses — unable to move and in grave danger.”The civil defense agency — a rescue force operating under Hamas authority — reported at least 22 people killed since dawn across the Gaza Strip, including 11 in Gaza City. Israel’s military said in a statement Friday that the air force had over the past day “struck over 140 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, tunnel shafts (and) military infrastructure.”AFP footage from the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City showed heavy damage to buildings after an air strike.

Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends
AFP/September 26, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a key partner of Israel within the European Union, warned Friday that Israel risked losing remaining friends with its destructive war in Gaza. Addressing the UN General Assembly, the center-right Greek leader said Israel had a right to self-defense after the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas but cannot “justify the death of thousands of children.” “Greece maintains a strategic partnership with Israel, but this does not prevent us from speaking openly and frankly,” Mitsotakis said. “The continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel’s own interests, leading to an erosion of international support,” he said. “I tell my Israeli friends they risk alienating all their remaining allies if they persist on a path that is shattering the potential of a two-state solution.”Greece did not join European powers including France and Britain, which in recent days recognized a Palestinian state as they voiced exasperation with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who in a fiery UN speech earlier Friday accused Western leaders of fanning antisemitism — flew over Greece as he took a circuitous route to New York in light of an arrest warrant he faces from the International Criminal Court. Greece has found common interests with Israel due to tensions both have with Turkiye, which has expanded influence sharply in Syria since the fall of leader Bashar Assad in December. But Israel also faces wide public criticism in Greece and Mitsotakis’s left-wing predecessor Alexis Tsipras has urged recognition of a Palestinian state.

Pakistani security forces kill 17 Taliban fighters
AP/September 26, 2025
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan: Pakistani security forces on Friday raided a militant hideout in the country’s restive northwest, triggering a shootout that left 17 Pakistani Taliban fighters dead, police said. The clash took place in Karak, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to regional Police Chief Shehbaz Elahi. He said three officers were wounded in the gunbattle. Elahi provided no further details but said that the killed militants were “Khwarij,” a term often used by Pakistani authorities to refer to members of the Pakistani Taliban. While security forces frequently carry out such operations, Friday’s raid followed a similar intelligence-based operation two days earlier in Dera Ismail Khan, another district in the northwest, where 13 Pakistani Taliban fighters were killed in a shootout. Pakistan has seen a rise in militant violence in recent years, much of it claimed by separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The TTP is a separate group from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban. It has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, and many of its leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan since then.

World must take decisive action on Syria’s Al-Hol camp: UN officials
Caspar Webb/Arab News/September 26, 2025
NEW YORK: The international community must take decisive action on the Al-Hol detainment camp in Syria or risk further regional instability, senior UN officials have warned. The camp, located close to the Iraqi border in northern Syria, is used to detain Daesh militants and their families after the terror group lost swathes of territory in 2019. Al-Hol houses more than 10,000 foreign militants, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said on Friday at an event held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The camp has become a long-term cause of concern for regional governments and international authorities, with questions looming over the future of its inhabitants. Rashid told the high-level international conference that 34 countries, including his own, have repatriated their nationals from the camp, but citizens of six countries remain. He said at least 4,915 families, including 18,880 people, have returned to Iraq from Al-Hol since the launch of his country’s repatriation program. The New York event, supported by the UN Office of Counterterrorism, was attended by 400 officials from 60 countries, as well as 31 high-level officials from leading humanitarian and multilateral organizations, said Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. Rashid said Iraq aims to “reintegrate them (former militants) into their communities and their places of origin,” adding: “We cooperate with international organizations to achieve this objective. Our aim is to ensure them a safe future and a dignified life in their country.”Most of Al-Hol’s inhabitants are women, and reports estimate that 60 percent of its population is younger than 18. UN acting undersecretary-general for counterterrorism, Alexandre Zouev, warned that conditions in Al-Hol and surrounding camps are “dire and very alarming.” He added: “With Daesh attacks and assorted humanitarian actors limiting services, the camps threaten to turn into incubators of terrorist radicalization and future recruitment.”But the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last year presents the international community with a window to take decisive action on the camp, Guy Ryder, undersecretary-general for policy, told the meeting. “Whilst the situation in northeast Syria grows more complex with increasing volatility, Daesh attacks and limited humanitarian access, member states have new avenues now to engage directly with different stakeholders and to advance solutions,” he said.
“But that window can quickly narrow, and inaction would carry serious consequences for regional stability and for international peace and security.” Dr. Mohammed Al-Hassan, UN special representative for Iraq and head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country, said camps such as Al-Hol “shouldn’t exist at all.” The “prolonged presence” of the camp without any foreseeable resolution is “unacceptable,” he added. Al-Hassan called for the international community to stand behind Syria and support its extension of sovereignty over all its territory. “The best service the international community can offer Syria and the Syrian people at this particular stage is for every state to repatriate its citizens and nationals from Syria. Syria has borne more than enough,” he said. Rashid pledged to share his country’s expertise on repatriating former militants, and called on the international community to “turn the page on this inhumane chapter.” Al-Hol must be emptied of people by the end of the year, he added. Zouev warned that repatriation is just the first step on a “long journey to break the cycle of violence.”Countries and communities that repatriate Al-Hol’s detainees must provide extensive rehabilitation and reintegration services, he said. “In this regard, it’s absolutely crucial not to lose sight of the imperative of justice for victims and survivors of terrorism.”

Full text of Netanyahu’s speech: We won’t let the world shove a terror state down our throat
Times Of Israel/September 26/2025
Prime minister vows to bring all the hostages home, defeat Hamas, slams Western leaders for abandoning Israel and buckling to Islamist pressure; denies genocide in Gaza.
This is the full text of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2025.
Mr. President, the families of our dear hostages languishing in the dungeons of Gaza, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Last year, I stood at this podium, and I showed this map. It shows the curse of Iran’s terror axis. This axis threatened the peace of the entire world. It threatened the stability of our region and the very existence of my country Israel.
Iran was rapidly developing a massive nuclear weapons program and a massive ballistic missile program. These were meant not only to destroy Israel.
They were meant also to threaten the United States and blackmail nations everywhere.From Gaza, Yehiah Sinwar dispatched waves of Hamas terrorists. They stormed into Israel on October 7th and committed acts of unspeakable savagery. From Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah had launched thousands of missiles and rockets at our cities, terrorizing our citizens.
In Syria, the murderous dictator Assad hosted Iran’s forces, tightening a noose of death around our throats. In Yemen, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles at Israel, while choking global trade at the mouth of the Red Sea. So what’s happened over the past year? We’ve hammered the Houthis, including yesterday. We crushed the bulk of Hamas’s terror machine. We crippled Hezbollah, taking out most of its leaders and much of its weapons arsenal.
Remember those beepers, the pagers? We paged Hezbollah. And believe me, they got the message – and thousands of terrorists dropped to the ground.
We destroyed Assad’s armaments in Syria. We deterred Iran’s Shiite militias in Iraq. And most importantly, and above everything else that I could say to you or that we did in this past year, in this past decade, we devastated Iran’s atomic weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Here’s where things stand today.
Half the Houthi leadership in Yemen – gone. Yahya Sinwar in Gaza – gone. Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon – gone. The Assad regime in Syria – gone. Those Militias in Iraq? Well, they’re still deterred. And their leaders, if they attack Israel, will also be gone.
And for Iran’s top military commanders and its top nuclear scientists… Well, they’re gone too.
Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, which I renamed Operation Rising Lion, that’s from the Bible, this 12-day war will go down in the annals of military history.
Our daring pilots neutralized Iran’s missile defenses and took control of the skies over Tehran. You saw this: Israeli fighter pilots and American B2 pilots bombed Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.
I want to thank President Trump for his bold and decisive action. President Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. And we delivered on that promise.
We removed an existential threat to Israel and a mortal threat to the civilized world. We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives.
But, Ladies and Gentlemen, we must remain vigilant. We must remain absolutely clear-minded and vigilant. We must not allow Iran to rebuild its military nuclear capacities. Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, these stockpiles must be eliminated.
And tomorrow, UN Security Council sanctions on Iran must be snapped back. Thanks to the resolve of our people, the courage of our soldiers, and the bold decisions we took, Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history. But we’re not done yet.
Bring home the hostages
The final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7th again and again and again, no matter how diminished their forces. That is why Israel must finish the job, and that is why we want to do so as fast as possible.
Ladies and gentlemen, Much of the world no longer remembers October 7th.
But we remember, Israel remembers October 7th. On that day… I’ll tell you, you can remember October 7th too.
You see this large pin here? It’s a QR code. What I ask you to do is hold up your phones, zoom in, and you too will see why we fight, and why we must win. It’s all in here. On October 7th, Hamas carried out the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. They slaughtered 1,200 innocent people, including over 40 Americans, and foreign nationals from dozens of countries represented here.
They beheaded men.
They raped women.
They burned babies, alive. They burned babies alive in front of their parents. What monsters.
These monsters took more than 250 people hostage, Those included Holocaust survivors, grandmothers, grandmothers and their grandchildren. Who takes hostage grandmothers and grandchildren? Hamas does.
So far, we’ve brought home 207 of these hostages. But 48 still remain in the dungeons of Gaza. 20 of them are alive – Starved, tortured, deprived of any daylight, deprived of humanity.
These are the names of the 20 living hostages:
Matan Angrest
Gali and Ziv Berman – Brothers
Elkana Bohbot
Rom Braslavski
Nimrod Cohen
Ariel and David Cunio – Another pair of brothers
Guy Gilboa Dalal
Evyatar David. You saw the picture of Evyatar David. Emaciated, forced to dig his own grave.
Maxim Herkin
Eitan Horn
Segev Kalfon
Bar Kuperstein
Omri Meiran
Eitan Mor
Yosef-Haim Ohana
Alon Ohel
Avinatan Or
and Matan Zangauker
Loudspeakers in Gaza
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I want to do something I’ve never done before – I want to speak from this forum directly to those hostages through loudspeakers.
I’ve surrounded Gaza with massive loudspeakers connected to this microphone in the hope that our dear hostages will hear my message. I will say it first in Hebrew, and then in English.
[Hebrew]
Our brave heroes – This is Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking to you live from the United Nations. We have not forgotten you. Not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter, and we will not rest, until we bring all of you home.
Ladies and gentlemen, Thanks to special efforts by Israeli intelligence, my words are now also being carried, they’re streamed live to the cellphones of Gazans.
“So to the remaining Hamas leaders, and to the jailors of our hostages, I now say: Lay down your arms. Let my people go! Free the hostages! All of them. The whole 48. Free the hostages now! If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.
Ladies and gentlemen, if Hamas agrees to our demands, the war could end right now. Gaza would be demilitarized, Israel would retain overriding security control, and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel.
Of course, you understand that the war in Gaza has affected every Israeli.
But I am sure there are people in New York, London, Melbourne and elsewhere who are probably thinking – what does all of this have to do with me?
The answer is…everything! Because our enemies are your enemies. Let’s do something else, another first at the UN.
Let’s do a pop quiz.
Raise your hand if you know the answer.
First question. Who shouts “Death to America?”
Is it A) Iran, B)Hamas, C) Hezbollah, D) the Houthis or E) All of the above?
All of the above. Correct. All of the above.
Second question. Who has murdered Americans and Europeans in cold blood. Is it A) Al Qaeda, B) Hamas, C) Hezbollah, D) Iran or E) All of the above?
Correct again, all of the above.
So here’s the point I want to make: Our enemies hate all of us with equal venom. They want to drag the modern world back to the past… to a dark age of violence, fanaticism, and terror. I think many of you are already feeling in your own societies the radical Islamist surge. I’m sure you do.You know deep down that Israel is fighting your fight. I want to tell you a secret.
Behind closed doors, many of the leaders who publicly condemn us, privately thank us. They tell me how much they value Israel’s superb intelligence services that have prevented time and again terrorist attacks in their capitals. Time and again saving countless lives.
General George Keegan, former head of US Air Force intelligence, once said, “If the United States had to gather on its own the intelligence that Israel gives us, we would have to establish five CIAs.”
Five CIAs.
This past June, when Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, German Chancellor Mertz admitted the truth. He said, “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us.”
President Trump understands better than any other leader that Israel and America face a common threat. He showed the world that when Iran and its proxies murder Americans, take Americans hostage, shout Death to America, burn American flags and try to assassinate the President of the United States – not once, but twice. He showed them there is a price to pay for all that.
Regrettably, many leaders who are represented in this hall, they send a very different message. Sure, in the days immediately following October 7th, many of them supported Israel. But that support quickly evaporated when Israel did what any self-respecting nation would do in the wake of such a savage attack.
We fought back.
Just imagine, just sit back for a second and imagine, an attack against America proportionate to the attack against Israel on October 7th. Imagine a regime, a terror regime, dispatching thousands of terrorists to invade the United States. They massacre 40,000 Americans. They take 10,000 Americans hostage.
What do you think America would do? Do you think America would leave that regime standing? You don’t think that. No way. Not a chance! The United States would wipe out that terror regime and ensure that such savagery would never threaten America again.
This is precisely what Israel is doing in Gaza. We’re wiping out the terror regime of Hamas and ensuring that its savagery will never threaten Israel again. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what any self-respecting government would do.
Weak-kneed leaders who appease evil
Yet, and it’s a yet that I’m sorry to say here. Yet over time, many world leaders buckled– They buckled under pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies, and antisemitic mobs.
There’s a familiar saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved!
And here’s the shameful result of that collapse. For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us. Astoundingly, as we fight the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens, you are fighting us
There’s a familiar saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved!
And here’s the shameful result of that collapse. For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us. Astoundingly, as we fight the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens, you are fighting us.
You condemn us. You embargo us. And you wage political and legal warfare, it’s called lawfare, against us.
I say to the representatives of those nations, This is not an indictment of Israel.
It’s an indictment of you! It’s an indictment of weak-kneed leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose braver soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.
They’re already penetrating the gate. When will you learn ….You can’t appease your way out of Jihad. You won’t escape the Islamist storm by sacrificing Israel.
To overcome that storm, you have to stand with Israel. But that’s not what you’re doing. As the prophets of Israel foretold in the Bible, You’ve turned good into evil … and evil into good. I want to drill down on this.
Take the false charge of genocide. Israel is accused of deliberately targeting civilians.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the opposite is true.
The head of urban warfare studies, Col. John Spencer, he’s probably the world’s expert on urban warfare, says, “Israel is applying more measures to minimize civilian casualties than any military in history.”
And because we’re doing that, the ratio of non-combatant to combatant casualties is less than 2 to 1 in Gaza.
That’s an astoundingly low ratio, lower than NATO’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially when you consider that Gaza is one of the most densely populated urban areas on earth. It has hundreds of miles of terror tunnels underground, and it has countless terror towers above ground, and thousands of terrorists embedded in these tunnels and in these towers in civilian areas. If you want to see what measures Israel takes to avoid civilian casualties in this war, just look at what we’re doing now in Gaza City, the last Hamas stronghold, one of the two last strongholds. For three weeks, Israel dropped millions of leaflets, sent millions of text messages and made countless phone calls urging civilians to leave Gaza City before our military moves in.
(Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
This is the full text of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 2025.
Mr. President, the families of our dear hostages languishing in the dungeons of Gaza, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Last year, I stood at this podium, and I showed this map. It shows the curse of Iran’s terror axis. This axis threatened the peace of the entire world. It threatened the stability of our region and the very existence of my country Israel.
Iran was rapidly developing a massive nuclear weapons program and a massive ballistic missile program. These were meant not only to destroy Israel.
They were meant also to threaten the United States and blackmail nations everywhere.
From Gaza, Yehiah Sinwar dispatched waves of Hamas terrorists. They stormed into Israel on October 7th and committed acts of unspeakable savagery.
From Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah had launched thousands of missiles and rockets at our cities, terrorizing our citizens. In Syria, the murderous dictator Assad hosted Iran’s forces, tightening a noose of death around our throats.
In Yemen, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles at Israel, while choking global trade at the mouth of the Red Sea.
So what’s happened over the past year? We’ve hammered the Houthis, including yesterday. We crushed the bulk of Hamas’s terror machine. We crippled Hezbollah, taking out most of its leaders and much of its weapons arsenal.
Remember those beepers, the pagers? We paged Hezbollah. And believe me, they got the message – and thousands of terrorists dropped to the ground.
We destroyed Assad’s armaments in Syria. We deterred Iran’s Shiite militias in Iraq. And most importantly, and above everything else that I could say to you or that we did in this past year, in this past decade, we devastated Iran’s atomic weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Here’s where things stand today.
Half the Houthi leadership in Yemen – gone. Yahya Sinwar in Gaza – gone. Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon – gone. The Assad regime in Syria – gone. Those Militias in Iraq? Well, they’re still deterred. And their leaders, if they attack Israel, will also be gone.
And for Iran’s top military commanders and its top nuclear scientists… Well, they’re gone too.
Israel’s 12-day war with Iran, which I renamed Operation Rising Lion, that’s from the Bible, this 12-day war will go down in the annals of military history.
Our daring pilots neutralized Iran’s missile defenses and took control of the skies over Tehran. You saw this: Israeli fighter pilots and American B2 pilots bombed Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites. I want to thank President Trump for his bold and decisive action. President Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. And we delivered on that promise.
We removed an existential threat to Israel and a mortal threat to the civilized world. We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives.
But, Ladies and Gentlemen, we must remain vigilant. We must remain absolutely clear-minded and vigilant. We must not allow Iran to rebuild its military nuclear capacities. Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, these stockpiles must be eliminated.
And tomorrow, UN Security Council sanctions on Iran must be snapped back. Thanks to the resolve of our people, the courage of our soldiers, and the bold decisions we took, Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history.
But we’re not done yet.
Bring home the hostages
The final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7th again and again and again, no matter how diminished their forces. That is why Israel must finish the job, and that is why we want to do so as fast as possible.
Ladies and gentlemen, Much of the world no longer remembers October 7th.
But we remember, Israel remembers October 7th. On that day… I’ll tell you, you can remember October 7th too.
You see this large pin here? It’s a QR code. What I ask you to do is hold up your phones, zoom in, and you too will see why we fight, and why we must win. It’s all in here.
On October 7th, Hamas carried out the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. They slaughtered 1,200 innocent people, including over 40 Americans, and foreign nationals from dozens of countries represented here.
They beheaded men.
They raped women.
They burned babies, alive. They burned babies alive in front of their parents. What monsters.
These monsters took more than 250 people hostage, Those included Holocaust survivors, grandmothers, grandmothers and their grandchildren. Who takes hostage grandmothers and grandchildren? Hamas does.
So far, we’ve brought home 207 of these hostages. But 48 still remain in the dungeons of Gaza. 20 of them are alive – Starved, tortured, deprived of any daylight, deprived of humanity.
These are the names of the 20 living hostages:
Matan Angrest
Gali and Ziv Berman – Brothers
Elkana Bohbot
Rom Braslavski
Nimrod Cohen
Ariel and David Cunio – Another pair of brothers
Guy Gilboa Dalal
Evyatar David. You saw the picture of Evyatar David. Emaciated, forced to dig his own grave.
Maxim Herkin
Eitan Horn
Segev Kalfon
Bar Kuperstein
Omri Meiran
Eitan Mor
Yosef-Haim Ohana
Alon Ohel
Avinatan Or
and Matan Zangauker
Hagai Angrest, the father of hostage Matan Angrest, at a protest outside the United Nations, New York City, September 26, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)
Loudspeakers in Gaza
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I want to do something I’ve never done before – I want to speak from this forum directly to those hostages through loudspeakers.
I’ve surrounded Gaza with massive loudspeakers connected to this microphone in the hope that our dear hostages will hear my message. I will say it first in Hebrew, and then in English.
[Hebrew]
Our brave heroes – This is Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking to you live from the United Nations. We have not forgotten you. Not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter, and we will not rest, until we bring all of you home.
Ladies and gentlemen, Thanks to special efforts by Israeli intelligence, my words are now also being carried, they’re streamed live to the cellphones of Gazans.
IDF trucks with loudspeakers seen on the border of the Gaza Strip, apparently preparing to enter, readying to broadcast Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN to Palestinians, September 26, 2025. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
“So to the remaining Hamas leaders, and to the jailors of our hostages, I now say: Lay down your arms. Let my people go! Free the hostages! All of them. The whole 48. Free the hostages now! If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.
Ladies and gentlemen, if Hamas agrees to our demands, the war could end right now. Gaza would be demilitarized, Israel would retain overriding security control, and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel.
Of course, you understand that the war in Gaza has affected every Israeli.
But I am sure there are people in New York, London, Melbourne and elsewhere who are probably thinking – what does all of this have to do with me?
The answer is…everything! Because our enemies are your enemies. Let’s do something else, another first at the UN.
Let’s do a pop quiz.
Raise your hand if you know the answer.
First question. Who shouts “Death to America?”
Is it A) Iran, B)Hamas, C) Hezbollah, D) the Houthis or E) All of the above?
All of the above. Correct. All of the above.
Second question. Who has murdered Americans and Europeans in cold blood. Is it A) Al Qaeda, B) Hamas, C) Hezbollah, D) Iran or E) All of the above?
Correct again, all of the above.
So here’s the point I want to make: Our enemies hate all of us with equal venom. They want to drag the modern world back to the past… to a dark age of violence, fanaticism, and terror. I think many of you are already feeling in your own societies the radical Islamist surge. I’m sure you do.
You know deep down that Israel is fighting your fight. I want to tell you a secret.
Behind closed doors, many of the leaders who publicly condemn us, privately thank us. They tell me how much they value Israel’s superb intelligence services that have prevented time and again terrorist attacks in their capitals. Time and again saving countless lives.
General George Keegan, former head of US Air Force intelligence, once said, “If the United States had to gather on its own the intelligence that Israel gives us, we would have to establish five CIAs.”
Five CIAs.
This past June, when Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, German Chancellor Mertz admitted the truth. He said, “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us.”
President Trump understands better than any other leader that Israel and America face a common threat. He showed the world that when Iran and its proxies murder Americans, take Americans hostage, shout Death to America, burn American flags and try to assassinate the President of the United States – not once, but twice. He showed them there is a price to pay for all that.
Regrettably, many leaders who are represented in this hall, they send a very different message. Sure, in the days immediately following October 7th, many of them supported Israel. But that support quickly evaporated when Israel did what any self-respecting nation would do in the wake of such a savage attack.
We fought back.
Just imagine, just sit back for a second and imagine, an attack against America proportionate to the attack against Israel on October 7th. Imagine a regime, a terror regime, dispatching thousands of terrorists to invade the United States. They massacre 40,000 Americans. They take 10,000 Americans hostage.
What do you think America would do? Do you think America would leave that regime standing? You don’t think that. No way. Not a chance! The United States would wipe out that terror regime and ensure that such savagery would never threaten America again.
This is precisely what Israel is doing in Gaza. We’re wiping out the terror regime of Hamas and ensuring that its savagery will never threaten Israel again. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what any self-respecting government would do.
Weak-kneed leaders who appease evil
Yet, and it’s a yet that I’m sorry to say here. Yet over time, many world leaders buckled– They buckled under pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies, and antisemitic mobs.
There’s a familiar saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved!
And here’s the shameful result of that collapse. For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us. Astoundingly, as we fight the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens, you are fighting us
There’s a familiar saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, for many countries here, when the going got tough, you caved!
And here’s the shameful result of that collapse. For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us. Astoundingly, as we fight the terrorists who murdered many of your citizens, you are fighting us.
You condemn us. You embargo us. And you wage political and legal warfare, it’s called lawfare, against us.
I say to the representatives of those nations, This is not an indictment of Israel.
It’s an indictment of you! It’s an indictment of weak-kneed leaders who appease evil rather than support a nation whose braver soldiers guard you from the barbarians at the gate.
They’re already penetrating the gate. When will you learn ….You can’t appease your way out of Jihad. You won’t escape the Islamist storm by sacrificing Israel.
To overcome that storm, you have to stand with Israel. But that’s not what you’re doing. As the prophets of Israel foretold in the Bible, You’ve turned good into evil … and evil into good. I want to drill down on this.
Take the false charge of genocide. Israel is accused of deliberately targeting civilians.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the opposite is true.
The head of urban warfare studies, Col. John Spencer, he’s probably the world’s expert on urban warfare, says, “Israel is applying more measures to minimize civilian casualties than any military in history.”
And because we’re doing that, the ratio of non-combatant to combatant casualties is less than 2 to 1 in Gaza.
That’s an astoundingly low ratio, lower than NATO’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially when you consider that Gaza is one of the most densely populated urban areas on earth. It has hundreds of miles of terror tunnels underground, and it has countless terror towers above ground, and thousands of terrorists embedded in these tunnels and in these towers in civilian areas.
If you want to see what measures Israel takes to avoid civilian casualties in this war, just look at what we’re doing now in Gaza City, the last Hamas stronghold, one of the two last strongholds.
For three weeks, Israel dropped millions of leaflets, sent millions of text messages and made countless phone calls urging civilians to leave Gaza City before our military moves in.
Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza by vehicle and on foot, carrying their belongings along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
At the same time, Hamas implants itself in mosques, schools, hospitals, apartment buildings and tries to force these civilians not to leave, to stay in harm’s way. It often threatens them at gunpoint if they try to do so.
For Israel, every civilian casualty is a tragedy; for Hamas, it’s a strategy. Hamas uses civilians as human shields and as props in its sick propaganda war against Israel. A propaganda war that the Western media buys hook, line and sinker.
Despite Hamas’ threats, close to 700,000 Gazans, almost three-quarters of a million, have already heeded our calls and moved to safe zones.
Blood libels
Now, I want to ask you a simple question. A simple logical question. Would a country committing genocide plead with the civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way? Would we tell them to get out if we’re trying to commit genocide? We’re trying to get them out. And Hamas is trying to keep them in.
This charge is so baseless, the comparison to genocide, the wholesale slaughter of populations. Did the Nazis ask the Jews to leave, kindly leave, go out? Did others? Do you want me to name all the genocidal leaders of history. Just go one by one. Did anyone do this? Did they say “go out so we can come in”?
Of course not. The truth has been turned on its head. Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization whose charter calls for the murder of all Jews on the planet, this genocidal organization is given a pass. It’s barely mentioned.
While Israel, which does everything it can to get civilians out of harm’s way, Israel is put in the dock. What a joke! What to hear another one:
Israel is accused of deliberately starving the people of Gaza, when Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has let into Gaza more than 2,000,000 tons of food and aid.
That’s one ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza; Nearly 3,000 calories per person, per day. Some starvation policy!
If there are Gazans who don’t have enough food, it’s because Hamas is stealing it. Hamas steals it, hoards it and sells it at exorbitant prices to fund its war machine.
Last month, even the UN, not exactly a supporter of Israel — You’re supposed to laugh, by the way — Last month, even the UN admitted that Hamas and other armed groups looted 85% of the trucks. That’s why you have deprivation.
Those who peddle the blood libels of genocide and starvation against Israel are no better than those who peddled blood libels against the Jews in the Middle Ages, when they falsely accused us of poisoning wells, spreading plague, and using the blood of children to bake Passover Matzas. Antisemitism dies hard. In fact, it doesn’t die at all. It just keeps coming back with its libelous lies, refurbished, regurgitated, over and over again.
And I want to tell you something else. These antisemitic lies have consequences. In recent months, Jews have been assaulted in Canada, Australia, Britain, France, the Netherlands and elsewhere. Here in America, an elderly Holocaust survivor was burned to death in Colorado.
And a beautiful young couple from the Israeli Embassy in Washington was brutally gunned down right in front of the Holocaust Museum there.
Thankfully, President Trump’s administration is forcefully fighting the scourge of antisemitism. And every government here should follow its lead.
Murdering Jews pays off
But instead, many do the opposite. They actually reward the worst antisemites on earth. This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognized a Palestinian state.
They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on October 7th – horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population. Let me say that again. Nearly 90% of Palestinians supported the attack on October 7th.
It’s not supported them, they celebrated. They danced on the rooftops, they threw candies. That’s both in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, as you call it.
It’s just the way they celebrated another horror 9/11. They danced on the rooftops, they cheered, they threw candy. You know what message the leaders who recognized a Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians?
It’s a very clear message. Murdering Jews pays off.
Well, I have a message to these leaders: When the most savage terrorists on earth are effusively praising your decision, you didn’t do something right; you did something wrong. Horribly wrong. Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere.
It will be a mark of shame on all of you.
But, but, but, wait a minute, Mr. Prime Minister, they tell me. Wait a minute. We believe in a two-state solution, where the Jewish State of Israel will live side by side in peace with a Palestinian state.
There’s only one problem with that. The Palestinians – they don’t believe in this solution. They never have. They don’t want a state next to Israel. They want a Palestinian state instead of Israel.
That’s why every time they were offered a Palestinian state but were required to end the conflict with Israel and recognize the Jewish state, every time over the decades, they turned it down.
That is why every time they were given territory — they used it to attack us. In fact, they effectively had a Palestinian state — in Gaza. What did they do with that state?
Peace? Co-existence? No, they attacked us time and time again, totally unprovoked; they fired rockets into our cities, they murdered our children, they turned Gaza into a terror base from which they committed the October 7 massacre.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: The persistent Palestinian rejection of a Jewish state in any boundary is what has driven this conflict for over a century. It is still driving it. It’s not the absence of a Palestinian state, it’s the presence of a Jewish state.
Like giving Al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City
And I find it amazing, amazing, that the foreign chancelleries and the ministries and all those who pontificate about this, and the leaders, how can they not see this basic truth when it is repeated again and again and again ad nauseam?
And I want to say something else. This rejection of a Jewish state not only applies to Hamas. It also applies to the so-called moderate Palestinian Authority. You should know that the Palestinian Authority pays terrorists to slay Jews.
The more Jews the terrorists slay, the more the Palestinian Authority pays. The Palestinian Authority names its government buildings, its public squares, and its schools after the mass murderers of Jews, which they glorify as martyrs.
They pay and glorify not just the killers of Jews but also killers of Christians.
Christians like Taylor Force – an American veteran, who was brutally murdered in Israel by Palestinian terrorists.
“But, but, but,” Again, but that I hear from the Western Leaders. They tell me the PA promised us it will reform. And I know this time, Prime Minister, it will be different.” Yeah, right. We’ve heard these promises for decades. They always promise. They never deliver.
The Palestinian Authority is corrupt to the core. They haven’t held elections in 20 years. They use the same textbooks as Hamas. Exactly the same textbooks. They teach their children to hate Jews and destroy the Jewish state.
And Christians don’t fare much better. When Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was under Israeli control, 80 percent of its residents were Christians.
But since the PA took control, that number has dwindled to under 20 percent.
These are the people you want to give a state to? What you’re doing is giving the ultimate reward to intolerant fanatics who perpetrated and supported the October 7th massacre.
Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7th is like giving Al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11th.
Here’s another message for these Western leaders: Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats. We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down a hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.
This is sheer madness. It’s insane, and we won’t do it.
So here’s another message for these Western leaders: Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats. We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down a hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.
I want you to grasp something else that is also distorted in the media. I say this not only in my name or the name of my government but on behalf of all the people of Israel. Last year, there was a vote in the Knesset, our parliament, whether or not to oppose the imposition of a Palestinian state. You want to guess what the results were? Out of the 120 members of our parliament, 99 voted against. And only 9 supported. That’s over 90%. It’s not a fringe group, it’s not the prime minister who is extreme or is held hostage by extreme parties to his right.
So my opposition to a Palestinian state is not simply my policy or my government’s policy. It is the policy of the state and people of the State of Israel.
Western leaders may have buckled under pressure. I guarantee you one thing, Israel won’t.
Possibilities of peace
Israel’s victories over the Iranian terror axis have opened up possibilities for peace that were unthinkable two years ago. Take Syria. For decades, the very idea of peace between Israel and Syria seemed unimaginable. No more. Today, we have begun serious negotiations with the new Syrian government. I believe an agreement can be reached that respects Syria’s sovereignty and protects both Israel’s security and the security of the minorities in the region, including the Druze minorities.
From the founding of Israel, Jews and Druze have been brothers in arms.
We have fought together, bled together, we built our lives together. When I was a young commander in Israel’s special forces, my own life was saved by the invaluable advice given to me by a great friend, Salem Shufi, a heroic Druze IDF veteran. That’s why I could not sit idly by, nor could Israel sit idly by, while the Druze were being slaughtered by Jihadists. And I instructed our forces to stop the massacre. Which they promptly did.
Peace between Israel and Lebanon is possible as well. I call on the Lebanese government to also begin direct negotiations with Israel. I commend it for its declared aim to disarm Hezbollah. But we need more than words. If Lebanon takes genuine and sustained action to disarm Hezbollah, I am sure we can achieve a sustainable peace.
Of course, until that happens, we will take whatever action we need to defend ourselves and to maintain the conditions of the ceasefire that was established in Lebanon. Our goal is not merely to monitor Hezbollah’s actions, but to prevent them from violating the ceasefire and attacking us at any time. I’m sure that if the Lebanese government persists in its goal of disarming Hezbollah, peace will come very speedily and very readily.
Victory over Hezbollah has made peace possible with our two Arab neighbors in the North. Victory over Hamas will make peace possible with nations throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
Our victory would lead to a dramatic expansion of the historic Abraham Accords, which President Trump brokered between Arab leaders and myself five years ago.
I took note, as I’m sure you did too, of the encouraging words spoken here by the President of Indonesia. This is the country with the world’s largest Muslim population of all nations. It’s also a sign of what could come.
Forward-looking Arab and Muslim leaders know that cooperating with Israel will provide them with ground-breaking Israeli technologies, including in medicine and science, agriculture and water, defense and AI and so many other fields.
I believe that in the coming years, the Middle East will look dramatically different.
Many of those who wage war on Israel today will be gone tomorrow. Brave peacemakers will take their place.
Nowhere will this be more true than in Iran. The long-suffering Iranian people will regain their freedom. They will Make Iran Great Again! And our two ancient peoples, the people of Israel and the people of Iran, will restore a friendship that will benefit the entire world.
Ladies and gentlemen: The horrors that happened on one dark day, October 7th, those horrors happened countless times during the centuries of my people’s exile among the nations. Jewish blood was cheap. Jews were killed with impunity.
We had to beg others to defend us. The rise of Israel did not mean that the attempts to destroy us would end. It meant that we could fight back against those attempts.
That is exactly what Israel has done since October 7th. Our sons and daughters fought like lions. Our brave soldiers donned their uniforms and rushed into battle.
They were armed with the dreams of the 100 generations of Jews who came before them. The dream of living as a free people in the Land of Israel, our beloved homeland for more than 3000 years.
The dreams of living in our own independent state. The dream of having an army to defend ourselves. And the dream of being a light unto the nations – a beacon of progress, ingenuity and innovation for the benefit of all humanity.
On October 7th, the enemies of Israel tried to extinguish that light. Two years later, the resolve of Israel, and the strength of Israel burn brighter than ever. With God’s help, that strength and that resolve will lead us to a speedy victory and to a brilliant future of prosperity and peace.”

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 26-27/2025
The 'Free' University of Brussels: An Anti-Semitic Madrassa in Europe?
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/September 26, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21922/free-university-of-brussels
The climate of hatred and intimidation is so pervasive that, according to them, it is impossible to be Jewish on the ULB campus. One cannot speak or express oneself as Jewish — or simply be Jewish. Just being a Jew is condemned and subjected to violence.
Finally, when Alain Destexhe, long-time Belgian Senator, sought to shed light on this choice by pointing to demographic developments at ULB, citing around twenty first names — without surnames — the university immediately, the same day, filed a complaint against him for "incitement to hatred". It is questionable how the observation of a demographic evolution — neither good nor bad in itself, but simply factual — could be construed as "hateful". So much for "free inquiry", the motto of the ULB.
Out of conviction or cowardice, the Free University of Brussels seems to have chosen the path of complicity with Islamist anti-Semitism.
Voices are now calling on the Belgian authorities and the European Union (notably within the Erasmus program) to take the necessary measures, including the complete withdrawal of funding.
Has the Free University of Brussels (ULB) become a breeding ground for Islamist and anti-Semitic hatred in Europe? Pictured: Students from the ULB stage a sit-in during an anti-Israel march from the university campus to the Israeli embassy in Brussels, Belgium on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Bob Reijnders/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
The Free University of Brussels (ULB) has been making headlines in Europe. Law students decided to name their class after Rima Hassan, a French Islamist politician known for her anti-Semitic positions and her apologetics for Hamas and other terrorist organizations. That decision came against the backdrop of countless attacks and threats targeting Jewish students on the Brussels campus.
Has the ULB become a breeding ground for Islamist and anti-Semitic hatred in Europe?
1. Anti-Semitic attacks
May 2024 – Physical assaults against Jewish students at the ULB campus. Jewish students, including the president of the Union of Jewish Students in Belgium, were attacked by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The victims were first insulted, then beaten. Israel's ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig Abu, shared a video of the attack. Incredibly, campus security removed the Jewish students — the victims, not the aggressors — from the premises "for their own safety", without immediately intervening against the attackers. Hundreds of people then demonstrated to denounce this gratuitous and indiscriminate anti-Semitic violence.
June 2024 – A Belgian Jew in her sixties was attacked on the ULB campus, for being Jewish. Anti-Israel activists physically assaulted her during a campus occupation sit-in. She was wounded and lodged a complaint. "A Jewish woman in her sixties, walking her dogs on the ULB campus, was insulted and threatened in Arabic and French by a dozen anti-Semitic activists, who said "Yahudi ['Jew' in Arabic], we'll smash your head and your dogs' too", "dirty bourgeois", "you're an accomplice to genocide", "you'll pay for the others" recounted Joël Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism.
Since October 2023, posters denouncing anti-Semitism on campus have been systematically torn down. Any reference to Judaism or Jewish memory is vandalized within an hour. In April 2025, the Union of Jewish Students in Belgium put up hundreds of posters, all defaced the same day.
February 2025 – Jewish students have reported repeated acts of vandalism, physical aggression and anti-Semitic insults in recent months. The climate of hatred and intimidation is so pervasive that, according to them, it is impossible to be Jewish on the ULB campus. One cannot speak or express oneself as Jewish — or simply be Jewish. Just being a Jew is condemned and subjected to violence.
2. Presence of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkish Islamists (since the 2010s)
According to an academic analysis published by ULB itself in 2024, the Muslim Brotherhood (an international Sunni Islamist movement, designated extremist and terrorist by several European and Arab countries) and Turkish Islamists (linked to organizations such as Milli Görüş) have infiltrated youth and university movements at ULB.
They exploit issues such as wearing a veil, religious accommodations (such as halal slaughter), and political Islam to promote greater visibility for Islam. They recruit freely on campus through student associations, debates on Muslim identity and attacks on secularism. Their aim appears to be to encourage the most exclusive form of Muslim separatism, in direct contradiction with ULB's founding principles of free inquiry and rejection of religious dogma.
3. Muslim Student Circle (or Muslim Youth) and "clandestine" prayers (since at least 2015, broadened, amplified in 2023)
Groups of Muslim students at ULB, often affiliated with the Federation of Muslim Youth in Belgium (FJM), organize daily collective prayers (salat, the five obligatory prayers: Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Icha), in defiance of ULB's secular rules. These practices are both religious affirmations and identity claims, deliberately contravening the secular foundations of the institution.
For 15 years, prayers have been held in improvised spaces — corridors, staircases of the Solbosch Library, or outdoors — with rugs, veils and invocation texts. In 2023, a video published by the Belgian press revealed a clandestine prayer room inside the ULB. The rector, Annemie Schaus, described them as "spontaneous movements" — a polite way of acknowledging tacit tolerance by the university authorities.
Tellingly, however, ULB has always refused to grant prayer spaces for other religions.
4. BDS-ULB (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Circle since 2012, active in 2015 and beyond
This pro-Palestinian student group, affiliated with the international BDS movement — whose objective is to boycott to try to eradicate Israel, has been officially recognized at ULB since 2012.
In 2015, BDS installed an "apartheid wall" on Avenue Paul Héger, plastered with slogans such as "Fascists, Zionists – you are the terrorists". Jewish students were directly targeted for being Jews. Despite repeated warnings from Jewish and secular movements, the demonstrators there are allowed to act freely. Their activism has since incorporated openly Islamist demands, including solidarity with Hamas after the October 2023 pogrom, under the guise of "anti-imperialist" rhetoric -- despite Israel having been anti-colonialist, combatting the British Mandate there until Israeli independence in 1948.
5. Université Populaire de Bruxelles (UPB) and pro-Palestinian occupations (since 2024)
This radical student movement, inspired by Marxist and pro-Palestinian rhetoric, maintains links with Islamist groups such as Samidoun (a network supporting Palestinian prisoners, and a subsidiary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and aligned with Hamas, both classified as terrorist organizations by the EU). Samidoun is designated in Belgium as a left-wing extremist group and a threat by OCAM (Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis). Samidoun is also officially recognized as a terrorist entity in Germany and Canada.
From May 7 to June 25, 2024, UPB-Samidoun occupied Building B of ULB (renamed "Walid Daqqa", after a PFLP terrorist convicted of kidnapping and murder). Their demands: ending ULB-Israel partnerships, denouncing the "genocide in Gaza". Conferences were hosted, featuring figures such as Khaled Barakat and Mohammed Khatib, who are close to the PFLP. Slogans included "From the river to the sea" (explicitly calling for the eradication of Israel) and calls for "intifada".
Jewish students were attacked, with damage estimated at €500,000 to €700,000. The occupation, lasting seven weeks, was ended only by a police evacuation in June 2024. All the same, under pressure, ULB had already suspended its collaborations with Israeli universities in May 2024.
6. Promotion of hatred: Rima Hassan
In August 2025, ULB approved the decision of law students to name their class "Rima Hassan" — after a French Member of the European Parliament who is openly anti-Semitic, a supporter of Hamas after the October 2023 pogrom, and who incites hatred and even violence against dissenting voices, including Muslims opposed to her views.
Finally, when Alain Destexhe, long-time Belgian Senator, sought to shed light on this choice by pointing to demographic developments at ULB, citing around twenty first names — without surnames — the university immediately, the same day, filed a complaint against him for "incitement to hatred". It is questionable how the observation of a demographic evolution — neither good nor bad in itself, but simply factual — could be construed as "hateful". So much for "free inquiry", the motto of the ULB.
Conclusion
Out of conviction or cowardice, the Free University of Brussels seems to have chosen the path of complicity with Islamist anti-Semitism.
Voices are now calling on the Belgian authorities and the European Union (notably within the Erasmus program) to take the necessary measures, including the complete withdrawal of funding.
Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain), philosopher (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain) and PhD in legal theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is an entrepreneur, CEO of a European private education group and director of PAN Medias Group. He is the author of The Green Reich (2020).
© 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.

Big powers must change or our world will continue to bleed
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/September 26, 2025
The speech made by US President Donald Trump at the UN this week was considered absurd by many, especially when he claimed to have ended seven “unendable” wars during his eight-month tenure. However, his words reflect what everybody in the world is feeling: that the UN, and especially its Security Council, is no longer capable of bringing conflicts to an end. But the reasons for this are not a UN problem, they are a problem of the big powers like the US, China and Russia.
World leaders have gathered for the UN General Assembly in New York this week, as they have done for the past 80 years. But unlike the mere talking shops they have held previously, a sense of urgency and pressure could be felt in the speeches of most leaders this year — and for various reasons. However, all of them fell short of calling for an extraordinary summit to redraw the big powers’ goals and agree on a roadmap to achieve them. Following such a summit, a less conflictive world could emerge. It could stop the forever wars and their expensive human, material and ecological costs.
From France to South Korea and from South Africa to Suriname, speeches at the UNGA pledged support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call to work together to address the global challenges of war, poverty and climate chaos. They backed choosing peace over war, law over lawlessness, and a future where nations come together rather than scramble for their own interests.
The question is how to turn all this rhetoric into practical steps that can lure other nations, especially the superpowers, away from conflict and toward peace? Apart from Trump's speech, which was clearly directed at his domestic “Make America Great Again” supporters, the leaders generally managed to point to the factors fueling the descent of the world into this chaotic state of conflictive narratives, uncertainty and fear.
Most leaders backed peace over war and a future where nations come together rather than scramble for their own interests
Either side of Trump’s 58-minute address in front of a silent hall, other leaders delivered veiled but astute warnings about the state of our world. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s poignant speech stood out, as he spoke about the loss of US authority without mentioning Trump. He warned of the threat posed by the new authoritarians, reminding everyone that the ideals that inspired the UN’s founding fathers in San Francisco are today under threat.
“There is a clear parallel between the multilateralism crisis and the weakening of democracy,” Lula said. “Authoritarianism is strengthened when we fail to act in the face of arbitrary acts. When international society falters in defending peace, sovereignty and the rule of law, the consequences are tragic. Throughout the world, antidemocratic forces are trying to subjugate institutions and stifle freedoms. They worship violence, praise ignorance, act as physical and digital militias, and restrict the press.”
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto received warm applause when asserting that “might cannot be right, right must be right.” And Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke for most delegates when he insisted that leaders must be restrained when they become out of control, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has. Erdogan warned that those who remain silent in the face of barbarity are complicit in the crimes committed.
Speaker after speaker diagnosed the same problems and the majority of them recognized that the UN and multilateralism remain a prized vehicle to protect humanity in a world that is in transition. Dwindling resources, increased greed, military interventions, global warming and climate change are changing the planet we live on. One can add to that the digital transformation and the unchecked and unregulated social media realm, which is tearing at the social order in many otherwise coherent and cohesive countries.
Speaker after speaker recognized that the UN and multilateralism remain a prized vehicle to protect humanity
If it is to stay relevant and save multilateralism, the UN should be revolutionary for once and declare a global emergency that requires direct action. This would be through gathering all the elephants in one room. And I am not talking about 192 independent nations, but maybe getting two dozen leaders who agree with what has been said in the majority of the speeches at this year’s UNGA into a room with the superpowers. Together, they should come up with a roadmap that addresses their own interests but also the survival of the planet and its people.
In the last decade, the big powers, as well as rising global actors, have reached an inflection point and they now disagree on most issues, from Russia’s war in Ukraine to the Gaza genocide, from Sudan to Congo. It is high time that a covenant was created and signed that commits to a reformed world order that ensures peace and a protected environment. This would allow people and businesses to thrive, ending the constant and ever-rising uncertainty and anxiety that results from ignorance, greed and the race for profits, which could ultimately shake the central tenets of society and their durability.
Leaders of all nations and ideologies should agree on one thing — and that is to meet and disagree, as this would be the first step on the long road to finding common ground and reasonable answers to the questions that initially seem diverse but are in fact the same regardless of color, creed, geography, demography or wealth. The world that evolved after the Second World War has become ever more interconnected and it is in upholding that interconnectedness that solutions and accommodations could be found. Isolation and individual solutions have proven to be untenable.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.

Turkiye’s growing defense alliance with Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/September 26, 2025
Turkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, recently called for a joint security mechanism with regional states, particularly Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that security cooperation should be an equal priority for these countries alongside political and economic partnerships. Close security collaboration among these states was unthinkable a decade ago, but now — backed with a strong political will and shared security concerns — such cooperation has become not so much a choice as a necessity.
Diplomatically, it is significant for the regional heavyweights to have political consensus on regional issues. Ankara, Riyadh, and Cairo are already in high-level diplomatic consultations regarding the situation in Gaza, and are working on Palestinian-focused initiatives. They are on the same page in regards to Israel’s growing aggression in the region, particularly after its attacks on Doha. The closing of ranks among these powers is significant to avoid the intervention of third parties, and could even serve as a locomotive for other regional countries to join their joint cooperation. Most importantly, a potential security cooperation between Turkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia would be a game-changer that could shift the regional balance.
It is evident that Turkiye wants to go beyond political cooperation with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. For instance, for the first time in 13 years, Turkiye and Egypt will hold a joint naval drill, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. This exercise — dubbed Friendship Sea — will take place in the eastern Mediterranean, where both Ankara and Cairo have much at stake. The drill will include Turkish frigates, fast-attack vessels, a submarine, and F-16 fighter jets, alongside Egyptian naval units. Launching this exercise after more than a decade is a significant step toward military cooperation, given Turkish and Egyptian frustration with Israeli attacks. Israel has not only struck Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Qatar, but also sowed tension with Egypt and Jordan. Tel Aviv is also threatening Turkiye, both with its actions on the ground and through the rhetoric of its officials.
Ankara is also cementing its ties with Riyadh
Turkiye is also cementing its ties with Riyadh — a development that is likely to have a tangible output. Turkish-Egyptian-Saudi security cooperation is essential because these regional powers have long diplomatic experience, established state traditions, and population and economic power. This collaboration can usher in a new era in regional alliances that can lead to the emergence of a deterrent bloc against Israel.
With its evident security and defense strength, Turkiye is the most credible non-Western partner for both Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It has the second-largest army within NATO, and a growing defense industry through its Bayraktar TB2 drones. European states have also begun to show interest in Turkish drones, particularly due to the weapon’s outsized role in the Russia-Ukraine war, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and also in Syria. Almost all the Gulf states have added Bayraktar drones to their arsenals. This “drone diplomacy” has acted as a catalyst in improving Turkish-Gulf relations.
Now, Egypt is reportedly on the verge of joining Turkiye’s strategic project to develop the TAI Kaan stealth fighter jet. If confirmed, this move will be more than just a military cooperation between two countries — it will be significant for the regional balance of power, heralding a new era in which regional states refuse to yield to the dictates of external powers.
Israeli aggression is viewed as a major threat
The Kaan, a fifth-generation fighter jet, is among Turkiye’s most ambitious projects. Turkiye has been working on the project for more than a decade. The aircraft was publicly unveiled in 2023 before performing its maiden test flight a year later. Saudi Arabia has also expressed interest in buying Kaan fighter jets. With Saudi Arabia, Turkiye’s military cooperation is at a more advanced level compared with Egypt. Saudi Arabian Armed Forces have taken part in a multinational military exercise in Turkiye. The Turkish government is also hoping to reach a $6 billion defense deal for the sale of warships, tanks, and missiles to the Kingdom.
There are both political and security reasons as to why Egypt and Saudi Arabia want to join Turkiye’s strategic Kaan project. After the Israeli attack on Doha, Riyadh wants to signal to the US that it has alternatives to boost its defense capabilities. Second, the countries are sharing a regional security vision to establish a new security environment, using their own unique powers. Turkiye has significant defense and military capabilities, which combined with Saudi Arabia’s political and economic power, along with Egypt’s geopolitical significance, can make it a potential triangular powerhouse.
We should remember that international relations scholar Stephen Walt’s balance of threat theory asserts that states tend to ally against their most threatening opponent. Ankara, Cairo, and Riyadh see the current developments in the region emanating from Israeli aggression as a major threat to their strategic objectives. Thus, a Turkish-Saudi-Egyptian partnership is significant in balancing the major threat in the region. As a result, we are likely to see more defense pacts and security cooperation among these powers in the region.
*Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz

Question: “Is it possible to know when Jesus is coming back?”
GotQuestions/September 27/2025
Answer: Matthew 24:36-44 declares, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” At first glance, these verses would seem to provide a clear and explicit answer to the question. No, no one can know when Jesus is coming back. However, some claim that those verses do not say that no one will ever be able to know when Jesus will return. Most Bible scholars would say that Jesus, now glorified in heaven, knows the timing of His return, indicating that the phrase “nor the Son” does not mean Jesus will never know when He will return. Similarly, it is possible that, while Matthew 24:36-44 indicates that no one at that time could know the timing of Jesus’ return, God could reveal the timing of Jesus’ return to someone in the future. In addition, there is Acts 1:7, which states, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority." This was said by Jesus after the disciples asked Him if He was at that time going to restore the kingdom to Israel. This would seem to confirm the message of Matthew 24. It is not for us to know the timing of Jesus coming back. But there is also the question of which return these passages are referring to. Are they speaking of the Rapture or the Second Coming? Which return is unknowable—the Rapture, the Second Coming, or both? While the Rapture is presented as being imminent and mysterious, the timing of the Second Coming could potentially be known based on end-times prophecy.
With that said, let us be abundantly clear: we do not believe that God has revealed to anyone when Jesus is coming back, and we see nothing in Scripture which indicates that God will ever reveal to anyone when Jesus is coming back. Matthew 24:36-44, while spoken directly to the people in Jesus’ time, also contains a general principle. The timing of Jesus’ return and the end of the age is not for us to know. Scripture nowhere encourages us to try to determine the date. Rather, we are to “keep watch, because we do not know on which day our Lord will come” (v. 42). We are to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we do not expect Him” (v. 44). The force of Jesus’ words diminishes if at some point in the future someone will be able to determine when He is coming back. If the date is discovered, we no longer need to “keep watch” or “be ready.” So, with the principle of Matthew 24:36-44 in mind, no, it is not possible for anyone to know the date that Jesus is coming back.
Despite this clear biblical principle, many throughout Christian history have attempted to prophesy the date that Jesus is coming back. Many such dates have been proposed, and all of them have been wrong. Most, if not all, of those who have predicted specific dates for Jesus’ return have had questionable, if not heretical, doctrinal positions on other issues. As it was said above, based on Matthew 24:36 and Acts 1:7, it is not God’s desire for us to calculate the day that Jesus is coming back. Anyone who undertakes such a task is, if nothing else, misguided.
The key points are (1) the Bible nowhere encourages us to attempt to discover the timing of Jesus’ return and (2) the Bible gives no explicit data by which the timing of Jesus’ return can be determined. Rather than developing wild and speculative calculations to determine when Jesus is coming back, the Bible encourages us to “keep watch” and “be ready” (Matthew 24:42-44). The fact that the day of Jesus’ return is unknown should motivate us to live every day in light of the imminence of Christ’s return.

Iran: Fear of Running Short of Water
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 26/2025
It was with a sigh of relief that Islamic Republic President Massoud Pezeshkian welcomed the new academic year and the start of autumn the other day- relief that what is dubbed “the thirstiest summer” in Iran’s long history was over.
Only two months ago he had warned that even Tehran, the capital city, may run out of water within weeks. The disaster he had predicted was avoided but the factors that could have shaped it remain present.
Iran today is running short of water.
The latest figures published by the Ministry of Water and Power paint a grim picture.
Most of the 80 dams across the country have only 36 per cent of their water holding capacity.
Of the nation’s 31 provinces only two have maintained the balance between water use and renewal of water resources.
Everywhere else the story is one of fast dwindling sources of water. In the “water year” ended 1 September 2025 Iran recorded a rainfall of only 150 millimeters, a 39 per cent drop compared to the average of the past 10 years and a 40 per cent fall compared to 2024.
At the same time water accumulation in the hydro-projects fell by 45 per cent.
One of the driest countries in the world Iran needs a minimum of 251 millimeters of annual rainfall to avoid rapid desertification.
Other official studies paint an even grimmer picture for the coming years.
Over 40 per cent of the country’s estimated 300 lakes and wetlands have either dried up or are on the way of becoming patches of desert within a decade.
Lake Urumia, once the 18th largest in the world, seems to have gone for good.
Also gone is Lake Hamun in the east, on the Afghan border.
Next in line for desertification are Jaz-Murian in Baluchistan and Bakhtegan in the Fars province, a natural beauty spot frequented by pink flamingoes. The Hoveyzah marshland, dubbed “a chunk of paradise on earth”, in the southwest is threatened with desertification as the flow of rivers feeding it declines.
The position of scores of rivers is no better.
Almost 40 per cent of the nation’s 200 rivers and rivulets have either totally dried up or are reduced to seasonal streams.
The once mighty Zayandehrud, the “Life-Giving” River, has dwindled to a narrow stream that appears for a few days each year. The Gav-Khuni marshland where it ended is already a patch of semi-humid desert. Zayandehrud’s death threatens the very existence of Isfahan, one of the world’s most beautiful historical cities and long a capital of Iran.
The county’s largest, longest, and only navigable River Karun that passes through three provinces has lost 40 per cent of its traditional water-flow.
Iran’s water crisis has also led to loss or salination of topsoil and land subsidence in 25 provinces.
One immediate effect is a steady drop in food production.
The Food and Agricultural Organization, a UN body based in Rome, says Iran doesn’t face an immediate threat of famine but 25 per cent of the population is threatened with “moderate to severe” shortages.
What is the cause of this looming disaster?
One obvious cause is a spell of drought that is heading into its fifth year. But here are other more important causes.
In the 1990s the government decided to seek total self-sufficiency in good production with the excuse that we must prepare to face sanctions that might affect food imports.
To be sure food imports, along with medicinal drugs and equipment were never parts of UN or other sanctions. But the slogan “khod-kafa’i” (self-sufficiency) copied from the North Korean “Juche” shaped agricultural policy.
The area under cultivation was increased by 40 per cent which necessitated the building of numerous dams, dykes and canals that
drained the rivers and necessitated numerous artesian wells that sucked up underground water resources.
By 2019, agriculture accounted for between 60 and 80 per cent of the nation’s water consumption but provided only 18 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Self-sufficiency was achieved while Iran also became a major source of agricultural products for Russia and Iraq. Iran would have done better to import grains and other agricultural products that require high water use and focused on high value and exportable products such as a wide variety of fruit native to the country for thousands of years to pay for imports.
The mass use of artesian wells and hastily built dams also meant the neglect of the nation’s system of underground water channels that avoided evaporation and regulated water use in a targeted way. Known as qanats those channels are among the three major inventions credited to Iranians, the other two being windmills and wind-towers to cool buildings. The mother of all three inventions was the necessity of coping with shortage of water.
Another cause of the current crisis, as mentioned by Pezeshkian, is population increase.
Iran’s population has almost doubled three times since 1960 when the first scientific census was taken. Mass urbanization is another factor as city-dwellers use 60 per cent more water for personal needs than do those in rural areas.
The Iranian civilization was built on a plateau with three centers each fed with its distinct water sources.
One was in the east, in what are now Kerman and Sistan-Baluchistan provinces and Farah and Helmand walayahs in what is now Afghanistan, and was fed by rivers flowing from the Hindukush.
The other civilizational base was in the center in Isfahan and Charmahal and Fars.
The third base was in the southwest in Susa and parts of Mesopotamia benefiting from the waters of Euphrates, Tigris and a dozen rivers flowing from the Zagross range.
Many voices have been raised inside and outside Iran warning that the very bases of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations are threatened with extinction in the mid to long-term.
The good news is that several serious studies, including a Japanese one, suggest that the foreseen demise isn’t inevitable and that new economic strategies and socio-cultural policies combined with massive investment of resources can stop and then reverse the deadly trend of desertification.
Over 25 centuries ago the Achaemenid King Darius prayed to God to preserve Iran from two evils: lies and droughts.

Selected X tweets For September 26/2024

Michael Young
What happened yesterday in Beirut raises several disturbing questions. The first is whether the army and security forces are obeying the prime minister, or whether the authority to which they're responding effectively opposes the prime minister?

ܬܐܘܕܪܘܣ ܒܪܝܘܠܝܘܣ ܐܠܟܣܢܕܪ Amine Bar-Julius Iskandar
@Amineiskandar2
It’s either we remain chained to Wafik Safa, Hezbollah, Assad, Syria, Arafat, Palestine, Nasser and their numerous derivatives,
or we break free.