LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 18/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.april18.19.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
The Lord's Last Supper/Thursday of the Holy Mysterie
Luke 22/14-23: " When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the
apostles. He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with
you before I suffer! For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its
full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God,
and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. I tell you that from now on
I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.” Then he took a piece
of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my
body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, he gave
them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God's new covenant sealed
with my blood, which is poured out for you. “But, look! The one who betrays me
is here at the table with me! The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but
how terrible for that man who betrays him!”Then they began to ask among
themselves which one of them it could be who was going to do this."
’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese
& Lebanese Related News published on April 17-18/19
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries & the Last Supper: Rituals, Traditions, Values &
Principles
Lebanon Hinges on Moscow in Shebaa Farms Claim
Lebanese President: Judiciary is Cornerstone of the State of Law
Huge Hezbollah radio antenna broadcasts Hamas propaganda deep into Israel
Israel files complaint with international telecom organization after listeners
Hariri Vows Strict Austerity Reforms to Avoid Collapse
Lebanon: Hariri Stresses Need to Protect Pound, Warns of Catastrophe
Lebanese Parliament Approves Amendments to Implement Electricity Plan
State Employees Protest Possible Salary Cuts as Legislative Session Convenes
Report: Khalil Reviews 'Austerity' Budget Plan
Bassil Raises Refugee File, Urges Giving Arab League Seat Back to Syria
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel Condemns Legal Violation as Parliament Approves
Electricity Plan
Hakim: Kataeb Will Not Keep Mum About Violations
Radio Lebanon: We will devote today's programs to covering strike progress
Information, Tourism Ministries' employees stage strike in protest against
tampering with salaries
Riad El Solh sit-in staged in protest against salaries' cutback
Iraqi Arrest of Iranian Cleric on Suspicion of Drug Trafficking Stirs
Controversy
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 17-18/19
Trump Vetoes Congress Resolution to End US Support for Arab Coalition in Yemen
US Mulling Lifting Sudan off Terror List as Uganda Considers Offering Bashir
Asylum
Sources: Bashir Moved to Khartoum's Kobar Prison
Netanyahu Readies for Fifth Term As Israeli PM
New Palestinian PM Says Deal of Century ‘Born Dead’
Israel Demolishes Home of Palestinian Shooting Suspect
Kuwait, UK Welcome New Palestinian Government
Senior US Official Warns Against Operations in Response to Deal of Century
Iranian woman cancels return home after arrest warrant issued
Iran Closes Oil Wells in Flood-hit Khuzestan amid Drop in Output
Assad, Zarif Discuss Boosting Coordination after Trump’s Move to Blacklist IRGC
Iraqi Arrest of Iranian Cleric on Suspicion of Drug Trafficking Stirs
Controversy
Haftar Refuses to Halt Tripoli Operation as Sarraj Warns Europe of Refugee Wave
Protests Loosen Stranglehold on Algerian Media
Egypt Refers Cases of 2 Defendants in Killing of Christians to Grand Mufti
Egypt Seeks 6% Economic Growth, 27% Increase in Investments
Turkey: For the First Time in 10 Years, Unemployment Jumps to 14.7%
Turkey’s opposition takes office in Istanbul, appeal still pending
US Investor Sees Promising Opportunities in Egypt, Kuwait
Government of Canada will defend interests of Canadians doing business in Cuba
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on April 16-17/19
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries & the Last Supper: Rituals, Traditions, Values &
Principles/ Elias Bejjani/April 18/2019
The fl are disappointing me with their ridiculous agreement of me3rab and the
court he's doing in Hezbollah/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/April 17/19
Les FL me déçoivent avec leur accord ridicule de Me3rab et la cour qu’il font à
Hezbollah/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/April 17/19
Huge Hezbollah radio antenna broadcasts Hamas propaganda deep into Israel/The
Times Of Israel/April 17/19/
Hariri Vows Strict Austerity Reforms to Avoid Collapse/Naharnet/April 17/19
Lebanon: Hariri Stresses Need to Protect Pound, Warns of Catastrophe/Beirut-
Asharq Al-Awsat/April,17/19
Coups Claiming to Be Revolutions/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 17/19
Opinion/What Will Trump Do First: Make Mideast Peace or Strike Iran?/Daniel B.
Shapiro/Haaretz/April 17/19
Lessons to be learned from the ashes of Notre Dame/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab
News/April 17/19
Good behavior in public, and why it matters/Dimah Talal Alsharif/Arab News/April
17/19
Our zero-emission future is in sight/Jeffrey D. Sachs/Arab News/April 17/19
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on April 17-18/19
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries & the Last Supper: Rituals, Traditions, Values &
Principles
Elias Bejjani/April 18/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73938/elias-bejjani-thursday-of-the-holy-mysteries-the-last-supper-rituals-traditions-values-principles/
On the Thursday that comes before the "Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified,
Christian Catholics all over the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church
celebrates with prayers and intercessions the "Thursday of the Holy Mysteries",
which is also known as the "Washing Thursday ", the "Covenant Thursday", and the
"Great & Holy Thursday". It is the holy day feast that falls on the Thursday
before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His 12
Apostles as described in the four New Testament gospels. It is the fifth day of
the last Lenten Holy Week, that is followed by the, "Good Friday", "Saturday Of
The Light and "Easter Sunday".
Christianity in its essence and core is Love, Sacrifice, honesty, transparency,
devotion, hard work and Humility. Jesus during the last supper with His 12
Apostles reiterated and stressed all these Godly values and principles. In this
holy and message proclaiming context He executed the following acts :
He, ordained His Apostles as priests, and asked them to proclaim God's message.
“You have stayed with me all through my trials; 29 and just as my Father has
given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. 30 You will eat
and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over
the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22/28 and 29)
He, taught His Apostles and every body else, that evil temptation and betrayal
can hit all those who detach and dissociate themselves from God, do not fear
Him, lack faith, lose hope and worship earthly treasures. He showed them by
example that even a disciple that He personally had picked and choose (Judas,
the Iscariot) has fell a prey to Satan's temptation. “But, look! The one who
betrays me is here at the table with me! The Son of Man will die as God has
decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!" Luke 22/21)
He, washed His Apostles' feet to teach them by example modesty, devotion and
humility. “So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and
reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for
you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I,
therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one
another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for
you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his
master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13/12-16).
Modesty was stressed and explained by Jesus after His Apostles were arguing
among themselves who is the greatest: "
"An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be
thought of as the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have
power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People.’
But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must
be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater,
the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of
course. But I am among you as one who serves." (Luke 22/24 till 27)
Thursday of the "Holy Mysteries", is called so because in His Last Supper with
the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood
Sacraments when "He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take
this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all
again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” "He took
bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is
given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out
for you".
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries (Secrets-Sacraments) is the heart of the last
Lenten holy week, in which the Maronite Catholic Church lives with reverence and
devotion the Lord's Last Supper spirit and contemplation through prayers and
deeply rooted religious rituals and traditions:
The Patriarch prays over and blesses the chrism (Al-Myroun), as well as the oil
of baptism and anointing that are to are distributed on all parishes and
churches.
During the mass that is held on this Holy Day, the priest washes the feet of
twelve worshipers, mainly children (symbolizing the apostles numbers). Jesus
washed His disciples feet and commanded them to love each other and follow his
example in serving each other.
Worshipers visit and pray in seven Churches. This ritual denotes to the
completion of the Church's Seven sacraments (Secrets) : Priesthood, Eucharist,
Holy Oil, Baptism, Confirmations, anointing and Service.
This tradition also denotes to the seven locations that Virgin Mary's went to
look for Her Son, Jesus, after she learned about His arrest. The detention
place, The Council of the Priests, twice the Pilate's headquarters, twice the
Herod Headquarters, till She got to the Calvary.
Some Christian scholars believe that this tradition was originated in Rome where
early pilgrims visited the seven pilgrim churches as an act of penance. They are
Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls,
Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem, and traditionally
Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. Pope John Paul II replaced St. Sebastian with
the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for the jubilee year of 2000.
The Mass of the Lord's Supper is accompanied by the ringing of bells, which are
then silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers used to kneel and pray the rosary
in front of the Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament) all Thursday night. The Blessed
Sacrament remains exposed all night, while worshipers are encouraged to stay in
the church as much as they can praying, meditating upon the Mystery of
Salvation, and participating in the “agony of Gethsemane” (Garden at the foot of
the Mount of Olives) in Jerusalem where Jesus spent his night in prayer before
His crucifixion on Good Friday.
After the homily washing of feet the service concludes with a procession taking
the Blessed Eucharist (Sacrament) to the place of reposition. The altar is later
stripped bare, as are all other altars in the church except the Altar of Repose.
Thursday of the "Holy Mysteries", is called so because in His Last Supper with
the 12 disciples, Jesus Christ established the Eucharist and Priesthood
Sacraments when "He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take
this, and share it among yourselves, for I tell you, I will not drink at all
again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.” "He took
bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: This is my body which is
given for you. Do this in memory of me. And when He Likewise, took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out
for you". Jesus ordained His disciples as priests of the New Testament when he
said to them during the Last Supper: "But you are those who have continued with
me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me,
that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Before Celebrating the Resurrection Day (Easter) worshipers live the "Paschal
Mystery" through the Thursday Of the Sacraments, Good Friday and Saturday Of The
Light.
Because He loves us and wants us to dwell in His Eternal Heaven, Jesus Christ
for our sake willingly suffered all kinds of torture, pain, humiliation and died
on the Cross to pave our way for repentance and salvation.
Let us pray on this Holy Day that we always remember Jesus' love and sacrifices
and live our life in this context of genuine, faith, love, meekness and
forgiveness.
The fl are disappointing me with their ridiculous agreement
of me3rab and the court he's doing in Hezbollah.
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/April 17/19
The Lebanese Forces are disappointing me with their ridiculous agreement of
me3rab and their court ther are doing in Hezbollah.
The kataib disappoint me by trying to reintegrate, without redemption none, some
ex kataib / L BECAME AGENTS OF HEZBOLLAH AND BA ' ath. Missing out on this
reunion and pakradouni reunion.
The new disappointing national block with its attempt to restore a virginity to
Hezbollah.
The Pnl is cute but lack of TT: Vision and program especially.
The Mustaqbal is incoherent, reactionary and survival on the sectarian fiber;
yet its founder rafik hariri and saad his son never had and do not have a
sectarian vision.
Hezbollah is a bunch of terrorist fundamentalists at the service of the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
Amal is the club of the Duke of berri. Sectarian since his training. Yet I find
the estez nice.
The progressive socialist party is presided over by the biological heir of the
biological heir of the founder, a feudal lord druze. A indigestible dichotomy.
The Syrian National Social Party, a landmark of assassins who want to invade
Cyprus, release Palestine and group these 2 countries in 170 years with Lebanon,
Syria, Iraq and Jordan in one nation. Crazy things.
The Outdated Democratic party presided over by a mental dumb who will cadging
his place in Parliament, totally enslaved to bashar and Hezbollah.
The Orange party, that of people with seriously low IQ, all serious candidates
to the dinners of idiots who organize in the city and that of the guys to the
little quequette, who believe firm, like the disciples of Charles Mason that
their little God, ugly, Coward, liar, populist has 2 under, champion of a
nepotism never experienced even in the monarchies before the advent of this
calamity, will change the world. The reality being that we must remind him at
the dawn of every morning that the embassy of France is no longer in hazmieh and
that he no longer needs to go to refuge. His title of vassal chief of Hezbollah
is duly protective; at the durex.
Other small parties are useless and non-existent.
As for those who are seriously interested in the title of "Civil society", it is
the most important question stupidity. They / they do not even know that civil
society includes political parties; especially as politics is the supreme
service of people and the city. These fools must realize that we are present in
the elections and if we are elected we do politics.
Results of the races: we're damn
Les FL me déçoivent avec leur accord ridicule de Me3rab et la cour qu’il font à
Hezbollah.
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/April 17/19
Les FL me déçoivent avec leur accord ridicule de Me3rab et la cour qu’il font à
Hezbollah.
Les Kataeb me déçoivent en essayant de réintégrer, sans redemption aucune,
certains ex Kataeb/FL devenus des agents du Hezbollah et du Ba’ath. Il manquait
à ces retrouvailles Samaha et Pakradouni.
Le nouveau Bloc National décevant avec sa tentative de reconstituer une
virginité à Hezbollah.
Le PNL est mignon mais manque de tt: vision et programme surtout.
Le Mustaqbal est incohérent, réactionnaire et survie sur la fibre sectaire;
pourtant son fondateur Rafic Hariri et Saad son fils n’ont jamais eu et n’ont
pas une vision sectaire.
Hezbollah est un ramassis d’intégristes terroristes au service de la République
Islamique d’Iran.
Amal est le club du Duc de Berri. Sectaire depuis sa formation. Pourtant je
trouve le estez sympathique.
Le Parti socialiste progressiste est présidé par l’héritier biologique de
l’héritier biologique du fondateur, un seigneur féodale Druze. Une dichotomie
indigeste.
Le Parti Social National Syrien, un repère d’assassins qui veulent envahir
Chypre, libérer la Palestine et grouper ces 2 pays dans 170 ans avec le Liban,
la Syrie, l’Iraq et la Jordanie en une seule Nation. Des fous quoi.
Le parti Démocrate désuet présidé par un debile mental qui quémande sa place au
parlement, totalement asservi à Bachar et Hezbollah.
Le parti Orange, celui des personnes au QI sérieusement bas, tous candidats
sérieux aux diners de cons qui s’organisent en ville et celui des mecs à la
petite quequette, qui croient ferme, comme les disciples de Charles Mason que
leur petit dieu, laid, poltron, menteur, populiste a 2 sous, champion d’un
népotisme jamais expérimenté même dans les Monarchies avant l’avènement de cette
calamité, va changer le monde. La réalité étant qu’il faut lui rappeler à l’aube
de chaque matin que l’ambassade de France n’est plus à Hazmieh et qu’il n’a plus
besoin d’aller s’y réfugier. Son titre de vassal chef de Hezbollah est dûment
protecteur; à la Durex.
Les autres petits partis sont inutiles et inexistants.
Quant à ceux qui s’affublent gravement du titre de « société civile », c’est les
plus gravissimes question bêtise. Ils/elles ne savent même pas que la société
civile inclus les partis politiques; d’autant plus que la politique est le
service suprême des gens et de la cité. Ils faut que ces imbéciles
réalisent que quant on se présente aux élections et si on est élu on fait de la
politique.
Résultats des courses: on est foutus
Lebanon Hinges on Moscow in Shebaa Farms Claim
Beirut - Khalil Fleihan/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April,
2019/Recent developments along the Syrian-Israeli border have raised security
concerns among Lebanese officials, especially following US President Donald
Trump’s recognition of Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights. During his
visit last month to Moscow, President Michel Aoun urged his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin to help stop Israel from taking an official decision to
officially annex the Golan Heights. Beirut says the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese
territory while Israel considers it part of the Golan. The United Nations has
long held the area, along with its adjacent Kfarshouba Hills, was inside Syrian
territory occupied by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East war. But Beirut
says Israel should have withdrawn from the zone when it pulled its forces out of
south Lebanon in 2000. Well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that
Aoun did not hesitate to raise the issue with any Arab or foreign visitor to
Lebanon. He discussed it with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was on a
trip to Lebanon last month, and with Arab leaders on the sidelines of the 30th
Arab League Summit held in Tunis on March 30. The president also talked about
the fate of the Kfarshuba Hills during his meetings with Greek President
Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides last
week in Beirut.
Well-informed diplomatic sources admitted that the liberation of the Shebaa
Farms would not be easy with only Lebanon’s official recognition. Liberation
would either be achieved through the resistance or a Security Council resolution
backed by the permanent members. “With regards to the first option, there is a
deficiency in the military force due to the superiority of Israeli power, unless
it was decided to open a resistance front that will lead to the displacement of
the population from the south and the destruction of vital infrastructure of
water and electricity, the airport and military barracks, as happened during the
2006 Israeli war on Lebanon,” the sources explained. According to the same
sources, “the two options are feasible in light of local and global
circumstances, especially Trump’s absolute support for Israel.”
Lebanese President: Judiciary is Cornerstone of the State
of Law
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Lebanese President Michel
Aoun asserted on Tuesday that the judiciary must be an independent
constitutional authority, stressing the importance of neutrality and
impartiality. “Purging the judiciary has been on top of the priorities of our
war against corruption,” Aoun said during a celebration of the Beirut Bar
Association’s centenary. “The judiciary must remain above suspicion… and
it should guard and protect justice,” Aoun said, adding that the judiciary is
the cornerstone of the state of law. “There is no sate without an independent
and clean judicial branch which seeks justice and truth,” he said. Aoun
explained that the legal profession is closer to being a vocation than a
profession. He called on the judiciary to be an independent constitutional
authority in line with article 20 of the Constitution. The President revealed
that he has called for a conference set to be held at the Presidential Palace in
Baabda under the theme "For a better Justice.”He said the conference aims at
launching an open national dialogue between all Lebanese factions concerned with
justice, to shed the light on the flaws in the judiciary, and their causes.
Huge Hezbollah radio antenna broadcasts Hamas propaganda
deep into Israel
Israel files complaint with international telecom organization after listeners
The Times Of Israel/April 17/19/
The Hezbollah terror group has put up a giant antenna in Lebanon broadcasting a
Hamas-run radio station south into Israel, urging Arab citizens to carry out
terror attacks, Israeli authorities said this week. Israel in February said that
that Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, was using
its Al Aqsa TV channel to coordinate attacks in the West Bank with on-air cues,
after the IDF bombed the network’s Gaza headquarters in December. But some two
months ago, Hezbollah built the antenna at a Lebanese army base in the southern
Lebanese village of Marwahin to broadcast the network’s radio hundreds of
kilometers into Israel and as far as the Tel Aviv area, Channel 12 reported
Tuesday night. The antenna is so close to the Israeli border that the TV network
was able to publish footage of armed soldiers guarding the antenna.
The radio is being blasted into Israel at the frequency 101.6FM, very close to
that of an Israeli radio station that broadcasts on 101.5FM. The latter station
has many Arab Israeli listeners and has received several complaints lately about
the disruptions to its broadcasts.
Al-Aqsa TV’s reporters have frequently extolled violence against Israelis and
rocket attacks on the Jewish state.
The report said the broadcasts can be heard clearly in jails in northern and
central Israel, and that the radio has conveyed several messages to Hamas
prisoners in recent weeks. Israeli prisons have recently seen severe protests
and a hunger strike by Hamas inmates after the Israel Prisons Service installed
cellular jamming devices in the wards to prevent prisoners from using smuggled
cellphones. The IPS said some 300 contraband cellphones, some carrying messages
between terror cells, had been smuggled into the wards in recent months. The
cellphones were being used to coordinate terror attacks, and had been implicated
in at least 14 recent attempts at coordinating attacks from inside Israeli
prisons, the IPS said. The hunger strike came to an end earlier this week after
Israeli officials reportedly agreed to install public telephones in their prison
wards.
Israel’s Communications Ministry said: “We checked and found that the
transmitter is located in Lebanese territory, about three kilometers from the
border. The ministry has filed an official complaint with the International
Telecommunication Union, and it has been transferred to Lebanese authorities.”
The Shin Bet security service in February accused Al-Aqsa TV and Gaza-based
journalists of acting as agents of Hamas’s military wing, passing clandestine
messages to terror operatives in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by using
quotes from the Quran or subtle gestures by the presenters.
The Shin Bet said the plot was a key factor in the decision made by the Israel
Defense Forces to bomb Al-Aqsa TV’s headquarters in Gaza in November. Shortly
after the razing of the station’s building, the Hamas-affiliated outlet appeared
poised to close, but was kept on air at the last minute, broadcasting from
another location, thanks to an influx of money from the terror group. In 2010,
the US government designated the station a terror group. Last month, Israel
followed in its tracks and also blacklisted the network. Israel has also long
accused Hamas and other terror groups of using the special status granted to
journalists as a cover for nefarious activities.
Hariri Vows Strict Austerity Reforms to Avoid Collapse
Naharnet/April 17/19
Prime Minister Saad Hariri warned Wednesday that Lebanon is heading toward an
economic "catastrophe" unless the government implements strict austerity
measures to reduce a ballooning budget deficit and massive national debt. The
stark warning came shortly after parliament passed amendments necessary to
implement an ambitious plan to restructure the country's crumbling electricity
sector. Restructuring the power sector, dysfunctional since Lebanon's 1975-90
civil war, has been among key demands for reforms by the World Bank and
international donors.
Outside parliament, hundreds of civil servants protested, fearing the austerity
measures to be adopted in the new budget would lead to wage cuts for state
employees amid the economic crisis. The budget is still in the works and is
expected to be sent to parliament for approval in the coming weeks.
The electricity plan was approved by a large majority in parliament Wednesday,
days after it was agreed on by the government. It aims to eventually bring
electricity to the Lebanese 24 hours a day, securing an additional 1,450
megawatts of temporary power by next year so that total output will reach 3,500
megawatts — enough to provide power around the clock. In the longer term, the
plan calls for power production to be increased by more than 3,000 megawatts
over the next six years by building new plants and relying more on renewable
energy.
Lebanese officials hope that plans to fix the electricity sector that has cost
state coffers about $2 billion annually would lead to the release of $11 billion
in loans and grants made by international donors at the CEDRE conference in
Paris last year. The protest by more than 2,000 state employees in downtown
Beirut comes amid discussions by the government of what it called "painful" and
"unpopular" measures to be taken to try to cut the budget deficit and slow the
growth of the national debt, which stands at more than $85 billion, or more than
150% of the gross domestic product, making it among the highest in the world.
"We have approved the electricity plan and we are working on the budget, which
will include a wide austerity package," Hariri told journalists in a tense back
and forth after Wednesday's parliament session. Without going into details,
Hariri hinted that some civil servants and members of the military may have to
make "sacrifices," insisting that such steps will not affect the poor.
"I am not saying that Lebanon is about to collapse but if we don't take major
steps, we will reach a place where no one wants to be," Hariri said. Speaking
about overspending, Hariri added: "If we continue this way, we will reach a
catastrophe."
He later posted on Twitter that his two-month old government "is obliged to put
forth an austerity budget unprecedented in the history of Lebanon." No agreement
yet has been reached but leaks about possible wage cuts have led to random
protests and street closures by members of a worried public. Foreign Minister
Gebran Bassil tweeted over the weekend that if wages are not reduced, "there
will be no salaries for anyone" in the future. "The draft budget does not
include so-called wage cuts," Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil told reporters
after Wednesday's parliament session, seeking to calm nerves. Some economists
say the crisis has begun already and is getting worse every week with new waves
of layoffs, rising debt and slow growth. Chawki Saliba, a chemistry professor at
the Lebanese University, was in the protest area Wednesday and expressed worries
that his wage could be cut.
"There are major concerns, especially that living conditions are becoming very
expensive and difficult. Civil servants cannot tolerate" having their wages cut,
he said. "Those who led us to this point should take the responsibility. Why did
we reach this level? Because they have been stealing for 20 years," Saliba said
about Lebanese politicians.
Lebanon: Hariri Stresses Need to Protect Pound, Warns of
Catastrophe
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/April,17/19
Lebanon faces catastrophe if the government does not agree what may be the most
austere budget in its history, the prime minister said on Wednesday, urging
national unity and saying everyone should be ready for sacrifices if necessary.
Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's government is finalising a 2019 state budget
expected to follow through on its promise of "difficult and painful" reforms to
put the public finances on a sustainable path. The budget is seen as a critical
test of its will to enact reforms that economists say are more pressing than
ever for an economy that has suffered years of low growth. State finances are
strained by a bloated public sector, high debt servicing costs and hefty
subsidies spent on the power sector. Small protests over the last two days
against cuts have underlined the political minefield facing a government that
has put off reforms for years. Some public sector workers went on strike on
Wednesday. On Tuesday, retired army officers blocked highways with burning tyres
to warn against any pension cuts.
"What is required from us as a government today is to carry out a budget that
may be the most austere in the history of Lebanon," Hariri told reporters after
a meeting of parliament, saying the government must be "sincere" with the
people. While Lebanon was not in "a state of collapse", Hariri said that "if we
continue like this we will reach a catastrophe". Unlike other states that had
suffered financial crises such as Greece, Lebanon would have no-one to save it,
he added. Debate over state spending cuts has sharpened since the foreign
minister on Saturday hinted that public sector wages would be cut.
Hariri was cited by Lebanese media as telling parliament earlier that he
supported recipients of state pensions but also wanted to protect the Lebanese
pound, which has been pegged at its current level against the dollar for more
than two decades.
After the session, he addressed soldiers and the public more widely, saying
everyone should be prepared to make sacrifices if necessary, though it might not
get to that point. He held out the possibility of austerity measures that might
last for a few years after which "things will return to how they were". He also
hinted at cuts to benefits enjoyed by some state workers such as overtime,
furniture expenses and cars. "Why should I make the Lebanese people bear all
these costs?" he said in his comments to reporters. Hariri, speaking in
parliament, said that while the government, which was formed at the end of
January, had promised to issue a 2019 state budget in one or two months, it was
also trying not to harm anyone. "We are certainly in a difficult time," he said.
Serious steps towards reform would help Lebanon unlock some $11 billion in
financing pledged at a Paris conference last year for infrastructure investment
that would boost growth. As part of its reform effort, the government last week
approved a plan to overhaul the state subsidised power sector that is a major
drain on finances. Parliament approved the plan at Wednesday's session.
Lebanese Parliament Approves Amendments to Implement
Electricity Plan
Associated Press/Naharnet/April 17/19/The Parliament passed on Wednesday
amendments necessary to implement an ambitious plan to restructure the country's
crumbling electricity sector. Restructuring the power sector, dysfunctional
since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, has been among key demands for reforms by the
World Bank and international donors. Lawmakers have turned down a proposal
submitted by Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan on appointing a regulatory body in
a maximum period of six months, LBCI TV station said. The electricity plan was
approved by a large majority in parliament, days after it was agreed on by the
government. It aims to eventually bring electricity to the Lebanese 24 hours a
day, securing an additional 1,450 megawatts of temporary power by next year so
that total output will reach 3,500 megawatts — enough to provide power around
the clock. In the longer term, the plan calls for power production to be
increased by more than 3,000 megawatts over the next six years by building new
plants and relying more on renewable energy. Lebanese officials hope that plans
to fix the electricity sector that has cost state coffers about $2 billion
annually would lead to the release of $11 billion in loans and grants made by
international donors at the CEDRE conference in Paris last year.
State Employees Protest Possible Salary Cuts as Legislative
Session Convenes
Naharnet/April 17/19/Lebanese University teachers, civil servants and the Union
Coordination Committee staged a sit-in on Wednesday protesting a government’s
proposal to cut their wages as part of measures to reduce spending and slash the
budget deficit. The protesters gathered in Riad al-Solh Square in Beirut in
parallel with a legislative session held in Parliament. Later in the day, the
state-run National News Agency said it is committed to the strike and that it
will only cover news related to protests that will be held across Lebanon. State
hospitals and most of the state’s institutions including the National Social
Security Fund followed suit and joined the strike. As part of government plans
to reduce budget deficit, suggestions emerged that pay cuts might be imposed on
salaries of public sector employees and retirees. It surfaced after remarks made
by Froeign Minister Jebran Bassil last week, he said: “If the government doesn't
reduce wages there will be no more salaries, no economy and no Lebanese
Lira.”Similar protests took place on Tuesday when retired military and security
officers blocked several roads in different Lebanese areas to warn against wage
cuts. The legislative session convened to discuss 19 items on the agenda
including the electricity plan and establishing special economic zone in the
Batroun district and another in the district of Tyre along with the current one
in Tripoli.
Report: Khalil Reviews 'Austerity' Budget Plan
Naharnet/April 17/19/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil conducted a
comprehensive review of the 2019 state budget after extended meetings with Prime
Minister Saad Hariri, the most recent was late on Tuesday in the Center house,
in the presence of all political factions represented in the government, al-Joumhouria
daily reported on Wednesday. The daily said Khalil has prepared a budget plan
with suggestions to cut spending and an alternate plan without reductions shall
agreement fails on the first one. In the budget plan currently being discussed
the deficit may fall from 12 to 9 percent, said the daily. Spending cuts
reportedly are to affect the salaries of high earners without impacting median
salaries. The proposal seriously seeks to reduce all high salaries so that there
can be no higher salary than the President of the Republic, said al-Joumhouria.
Moreover, there is a proposal to freeze 10 to 15 percent of public sector
salaries for two years to be subsequently paid back in installments or
calculated manner so that it remains an acquired right for the employees, it
said. Unnamed sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told the daily that a
series of meetings were held away from the spotlight before taking the proposed
formulas to the Grand Serail. Some of the meetings were between Khalil and the
Director-General of the Ministry of Finance, Alan Biffani, senior officials and
the budget division. Similar meetings are reportedly held almost on a daily
basis to prepare a tight budget in order to reduce the state deficit from 11 to
9%. Suggestions to slash Lebanon’s budget deficit amid reported salary cuts was
not welcomed by public sector employees, mainly military retirees, who staged
protests on Tuesday and blocked roads in several areas around Lebanon.
Bassil Raises Refugee File, Urges Giving Arab League Seat
Back to Syria
Naharnet/April 17/19/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Tuesday urged from Moscow
the Arab League to return Syria to its seat and raised calls from Moscow for the
repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.
"It is no longer acceptable to continue squandering Arab rights in preparation
for the announcement of 'the deal of the era,’ which turned out to be a chain
suffocating our cause,” Bassil said at the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum.
"Unmistakably, our enemy is Israel and our compass is Palestine. All that
distracts us from our goal defending the rights of the Palestinian people is an
attempt to keep our attention away from the best interests our peoples; thus, I
call upon you to reconsider your calculations and to redefine your objectives,"
he added. "Some might think that I'm digressing and not sticking to the main
subject of our meeting, but fact is, the political sphere is the most important
aspect of the Arab-Russian cooperation so as to restore balance to our region,"
he added. "Strengthening our cooperation is not directed against anyone, and no
one should be concerned, because the main objective of this meeting is
coordination, cooperation, and seeking ways to a better life in our Arab
region," Bassil maintained. "Every time we meet, there is a vacant seat
disrupting the joy of our Arab gatherings; it is no longer permissible for Syria
to remain outside the Arab scope," he added, pushing Arab foreign Minister to
give Syria back its seat in the Arab league. "Historically, each of us had
reservations on the Syrian regime. Personally, I used to be an opponent of the
Syrian presence in Lebanon. However, when the Syrian army withdrew to Syria, we
wanted to build in the best of relations with our neighboring country," Bassil
explained.Now that the Syrian crisis is on the verge of an end, Bassil went on
to voice support to a political solution that would be approved and chosen by
Syrians, coupled with democratic elections, reconstruction, and refugee return.
"Lebanon nowadays is an Arab and international responsibility, and it is not
Russia's responsibility alone to support it in its mission helping refugees
return sagely to Syria," Bassil added as seeking unified Arab support towards
this end.
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel Condemns Legal Violation as
Parliament Approves Electricity Plan
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 17th April 2019/Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Wednesday
deplored the Parliament's endorsement of the electricity plan despite its flaws,
saying that lawmakers have failed to abide by their own legislations. The
Parliament approved legislation necessary to kick off the implementation of the
government's power plan, thus extending Law 288 which grants the Cabinet a
three-year full power award permits and licenses to produce electricity. "What
happened today is a complete violation of the Lebanese Constitution since the
2017 Public-Private Partnership Law (PPP) is supposed to manage any tendering
process carried out in the electricity sector, and, therefore, annuls all
previous legislations," Gemayel told reporters following the Parliament session.
“Failing to abide by the PPP law and the public accountability law have led to
legal vacuum in the tendering process,” Gemayel said.
“Hastiness does not justify the disrespect of the legal norms endorsed by the
Parliament,” he stressed. “We do not legislate so that we end up disregarding
our legislations; unfortunately, this is what happened today." By extending Law
288, Gemayel noted, there is no legal constraints controlling the tendering
process which will be based on political discretion. "The Energy Ministry has
been given some sort of green light to do whatever it wishes to; all that is
left from the Tenders Department's role in such a process is only the building,”
he noted. “The Energy Ministry will be in charge of setting the tender rulebook
and will be supervising all the stages of the process. It is responsible of the
technical committee which can reject any offer that it does not like."“The
Energy Ministry has been given absolute powers that are not subject to the legal
tendering mechanisms," Gemayel warned. "This will lead to major problems that we
will not keep mum about it."
Hakim: Kataeb Will Not Keep Mum About Violations
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 17th April 2019/Former minister Alain Hakim on Wednesday
stressed that the electricity plan still violates the law despite being voted
unanimously by the Parliament, slamming the populism accusations targeting the
Kataeb party over this issue. “The distortion of the truth doesn’t make
something truthful. An aberration can never turn into rightfulness, and evil
doesn’t become good just because there is unanimity over it,” Hakim wrote on
Twitter. “The Kataeb party will not remain silent over the law violations
whether it's inside or outside the government,” he added. Hakim was responding
to FPM lawmaker Simon Abi Ramia who previously accused the Kataeb's stance
regarding the power plan as populist, adding that the project cannot be hindered
after being unanimously passed by the Parliament.
Radio Lebanon: We will devote today's programs to covering
strike progress
Wed 17 Apr 2019/NNA - Radio Lebanon announced in a statement that it stands "in
solidarity with the Association of Public Administration Employees and their
rightful demands, the most important of which protecting the salaries, wages and
social contributions of employees against cutbacks," pledging to cover the
protests through its programs today (Wednesday). "Radio Lebanon, all of Lebanon,
is the voice of the citizen, especially when this voice reflects fear for the
future of the employees and their families. Radio Lebanon will cover the
strike's updates through its 98.5 and 98.1 wavelengths, and its website
radioliban.gov.lb," the statement read.
Information, Tourism Ministries' employees stage strike in
protest against tampering with salaries
Wed 17 Apr 2019/NNA - The employees of the Ministries of Information and Tourism
on Wednesday staged a strike in protest against tampering with state employees'
salaries and wages. Participating in the sit-in, which was held outside the
Ministries' building, had been Head of National Audiovisual Media Council,
Abdelhadi Mahfouz, Director General of the Ministry of Information, Dr. Hassan
Falha, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Nada Sardouk, Director of
the National News Agency, Laure Sleiman, and Director of Radio Lebanon, Mohammed
Ghareeb. Senior Radio Lebanon officials and heads of departments also partook in
said sit-in. In his delivered word, Falha described today's gathering as
"national comprising the entire Lebanese political spectrum," and a "peaceful
civilized move" to ensure the preservation of state institutions and public
administrations in the context of "bolstering our future and the future of this
country."Dr Falha underlined that "it is impermissible to tamper with salaries
in this manner," calling for finding solutions not at account of citizens and
public sector employees. "The salary scale is a right to state employees," he
corroborated. "State employees represent an essential and indispensable part of
the state's survival and continuity. We will ever remain in the service of the
state alone," Falha maintained. The Director General also stressed that today's
move is keen on the work and continuity of state institutions and departments,
stressing that Lebanon's future can be maintained by the preservation of
citizens' rights. Tourism Ministry's Director General Sardouk, in turn, said
that today's move is not directed against anyone, stressing that "state
employees' salaries are a red line."Sardouk called for finding solutions to
public deficit away from "employees' pockets."For her part, NNA Director Sleiman,
pointed out that since state employees' rights are being "munched," the NNA has
decided to refrain [today] from covering news except those related to today's
strike and sit-ins. Sleiman called for finding solutions to public deficit and
over expenditures not at the account of state employees' salaries, who
relentlessly work for the sake of their institution. "We are key components of
the state and we do not want anyone to tamper with our rights," Sleiman
corroborated. "We will continue the strike today, and if any new action is
taken, we will also take part. We solidarize with all colleagues in public ,
administrations," NNA director asserted.
Riad El Solh sit-in staged in protest against salaries'
cutback
Wed 17 Apr 2019/NNA - The sit-in at Riad El-Solh Square has started, in response
to the call of the Union Coordination Committee, the Association of Full-Time
Professors at the Lebanese University and the Lebanese University contractors
rejecting the cuts expected on State employees, teachers and retirees’ salaries.
MP Qassem Hashem participated in the sit-in, along with Head of the General
Labor Confederation, Bechara Asmar, who said that "those who passed the Civil
Service Board test ought to be done justice by appointing them in fitting
positions." "We raise the voice because the government finds it easy to tamper
with the public sector," Asmar said, commenting on the suggestion made to cut
off public employees’ salaries and pensions. "Reform measures should be
discussed with the concerned parties, namely the General Labor Confederation and
the UCC," he said. "Do we live in a State were all things are imposed by force?"
he asked.
Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published
on April 17-18/19
Trump Vetoes Congress Resolution to End US Support for Arab Coalition in Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/President Donald Trump vetoed on
Tuesday a resolution by Congress to end Washington’s support for the Saudi-led
Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen, announced the White House.
“This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my
constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave
service members, both today and in the future,” Trump said in the veto message.
Congress lacks the votes to override him. United Arab Emirates Minister of State
for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash hailed Trump’s veto, tweeting that his
“assertion of support to the Arab Coalition in Yemen is a positive signal.” The
decision is both “timely and strategic” Gargash added Wednesday.
US Mulling Lifting Sudan off Terror List as Uganda
Considers Offering Bashir Asylum
London - Mustafa Serri /Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/The United
States said Tuesday it may consider lifting Sudan off the state sponsor of
terrorism list if the country’s leadership and policies change and the military
no longer holds power. “We will be willing to look at removing Sudan from the
list of state sponsors of terrorism if there is significant change in the
country’s leadership and policies,” a US State Department official told Reuters.
The Trump administration suspended talks on normalizing relations with Sudan
after the military deposed veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir last week saying it
would oversee a two-year transition, followed by elections. Separately, Uganda
said it would consider granting asylum to Bashir, who is wanted by the
International Criminal Court. "If Uganda is approached to grant asylum to Bashir
it is an issue that can be considered at the highest level of our leadership,"
state minister for foreign affairs Henry Okello Oryem told AFP. He said that as
a result of Bashir's key role in mediating a peace deal in neighboring South
Sudan, "his asylum in Uganda is what the government of Uganda can consider."In
the meantime, "Uganda is keenly following the developments in Sudan and we ask
the new leadership there to respect the aspirations of the Sudanese people among
them peaceful transfer of power to the civilian rule". Bashir's three-decade
reign was toppled last week by top commanders after four months of nationwide
demonstrations. Protest leaders say Bashir must face justice, however the
transitional military council currently leading the country has said it will not
extradite the ousted leader. The council says Bashir remains in custody, but has
not specified his whereabouts or that of other senior regime leaders. Uganda is
one of several African nations which have hosted Bashir in the past without
handing him over to the ICC, despite being signatories of the tribunal.Bashir
faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to
the conflict in Darfur.
Sources: Bashir Moved to Khartoum's Kobar Prison
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Sudan's deposed president Omar al-Bashir
was moved to Kobar prison in the capital Khartoum late on Tuesday, two family
sources said. Bashir is being held under tight security in solitary confinement,
a source at the prison said. Since his removal by the military last Thursday,
Bashir had been detained under heavy guard in the presidential residence inside
the compound that also houses the Defense Ministry, the family sources told
Reuters. Another family source also confirmed to AFP that Bashir was transferred
to Kobar. Witnesses said there was a heavy deployment of soldiers and members of
the paramilitary Rapid Support Force outside the prison in north Khartoum."There
are troops in vehicles mounted with machine-guns near the prison," a witness
told AFP.
Netanyahu Readies for Fifth Term As Israeli
PM
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Benjamin Netanyahu is set to
be formally given the nod for a fifth term as Israeli prime minister Wednesday,
but his potential indictment for corruption will hang over tough coalition
negotiations in the days ahead. Despite a strong challenge from a centrist
alliance in last week's elections, Netanyahu emerged victorious with the help of
allied right-wing parties that give him enough support to form a governing
coalition. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who must choose which parliament
member should form the next government, held consultations with political
parties this week on their recommendations. Netanyahu received the support of 65
of 120 parliament members to remain prime minister, and Rivlin is expected to
announce his selection on Wednesday night. He will have 28 days to form a
government with a possible extension of a further two weeks. The results from
the April 9 election put Netanyahu on course to become Israel's longest-serving
prime minister later this year, surpassing founding father David Ben-Gurion, but
numerous risks lie ahead. The 69-year-old's first task will be to reconcile
divergent demands from his likely coalition partners.
Netanyahu's outgoing government was seen as the most right-wing in Israel's
history, and the next is expected to be similar if not further to the right. The
coming months are also expected to see the unveiling of US President Donald
Trump's long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Trump has shown no sign
so far that he would be willing to make significant demands of his close ally
Netanyahu in connection with his plan, though even minor concessions to the
Palestinians could lead to criticism from far-right coalition partners.
But the biggest danger hanging over Netanyahu is his potential indictment on
charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The attorney general has
announced his intention to indict Netanyahu pending an upcoming hearing. He
would be the first sitting prime minister to be indicted.
Many analysts said one of Netanyahu's main motivations in moving toward early
elections last week was to be able to confront the charges with a fresh
electoral mandate behind him. In a speech on Tuesday night, Netanyahu pledged to
be "everyone's prime minister," but also took shots at journalists reporting on
whether he will appoint an ally as justice minister who will seek changes to the
supreme court long sought by the right. There has been speculation over whether
that could backfire and result in judges taking a harsher view of Netanyahu's
alleged corruption. "The citizens of Israel gave us full, clear-cut, and
unequivocal confidence," Netanyahu said. "And these commentators threaten us
with a personal price," he added, referring to speculation over a potential
prison sentence. "That's what they call democracy and the rule of law. But every
time, you give them a lesson in democracy at the ballot box."
The final election results show Netanyahu's Likud with 35 seats, the same number
won by his main opponents from the centrist Blue and White alliance led by
ex-military chief Benny Gantz. But Gantz was left with no ability to form a
coalition, with only 45 members of parliament backing him as next premier in
consultations with Rivlin. The election was seen in many ways as a referendum on
Netanyahu, who has been prime minister for a total of more than 13 years.
He has built a reputation as guarantor of Israel's security and economic growth,
but his divisive right-wing populism and alleged corruption have also led to
calls for change. Netanyahu highlighted his relationship with Trump throughout
the campaign -- and especially the US president's recognition of Jerusalem as
Israel's capital -- as part of his argument that he remains Israel's essential
statesman. In the coming coalition negotiations, many analysts expect Netanyahu
to seek demands from partners that they would remain in the government after he
is indicted. Another major stumbling block will be a contentious bill that would
seek to force ultra-Orthodox religious students to serve in the military like
their secular counterparts. Ultra-Orthodox parties, which will control 16 seats
in the next coalition, plan to resist the change, but former defense minister
Avigdor Lieberman is conditioning his inclusion in the government on the law
being passed. Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party's five seats will be
crucial to Netanyahu's majority.
New Palestinian PM Says Deal of Century ‘Born Dead’
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/New Palestinian Prime Minister
Mohammad Shtayyeh accused on Tuesday the United States of declaring "financial
war" on his people and said the yet-undisclosed American “deal of the century”
peace plan will be "born dead."In his first interview with international media
since taking office over the weekend, he laid out to the Associated Press out
plans to get through the financial crisis he has inherited and predicted that
the international community and Arab world would join the Palestinians in
rejecting President Donald Trump's expected peace plan. "There are no partners
in Palestine for Trump. There are no Arab partners for Trump and there are no
European partners for Trump," Shtayyeh said during a wide-ranging hour-long
interview. Shtayyeh, a British-educated economist, takes office as the
Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous zones in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, is mired in a financial crisis. The Trump
administration has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars of aid, including all
of its support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Israel has meanwhile
withheld tens of millions of dollars of tax transfers to “punish” the
Palestinians for their "martyrs' fund," a program that provides stipends to the
families of Palestinians imprisoned or killed as a result of fighting with
Israel. The Israelis say the fund rewards violence, while the Palestinians say
the payments are a national duty to families affected by decades of violence.
Furious about the withholding, the Palestinians have in turn refused to accept
partial tax transfers from Israel. Without its key sources of revenue, the PA
has begun paying only half salaries to tens of thousands of civil servants,
reduced services and increased borrowing. In a new report released Wednesday,
the World Bank said the Palestinian deficit will grow from $400 million last
year to over $1 billion this year. "Israel is part of the financial war that has
been declared upon us by the United States. The whole system is to try to push
us to surrender" and agree to an unacceptable peace proposal, Shtayyeh said.
"This a financial blackmail, which we reject."Shtayyeh outlined a number of
proposals for weathering the storm. He said he has imposed spending cuts by
reducing perks for his Cabinet ministers.
He revealed to the AP that he would seek to develop the Palestinian
agricultural, economic and education sectors and seek ways to reduce the
Palestinian economy's dependence on Israel. For example, he proposed importing
fuel from neighboring Jordan, instead of from Israel, and even floating a
Palestinian currency. He also said the Palestinians would seek financial backing
from Arab and European donors. Despite the tensions with Israel and the US,
Shtayyeh said the Palestinians remain committed to the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state on areas captured by Israel in the 1967 war. That
includes establishing a capital in east Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed and
claims as part of its eternal capital. The two-state solution has enjoyed
overwhelming international support for the past two decades. But Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline political allies reject Palestinian
independence, said the AP. Netanyahu secured another term in office in elections
last week and is expected to form a new coalition with religious and nationalist
parties that oppose the two-state solution. On the campaign trail, Netanyahu
even raised the possibility of annexing Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a
step that has drawn international condemnation. Netanyahu has received a boost
from Trump, who has given Netanyahu a number of diplomatic gifts since taking
office. Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved the US
Embassy to the holy city, slashed aid to the Palestinians and shuttered the
Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington. In a departure from Republican and
Democratic predecessors, Trump also has notably refused to endorse the two-state
solution. His peace team, led by son-in-law Jared Kushner, has repeatedly pushed
back the release of a peace plan it says it is preparing, and it remains unclear
if or when it will be released. Kushner's team has said little about their
proposal. But their limited public statements have indicated it will call for
large amounts of economic investment for the Palestinians, but given no sign
that it will include their demand for independence. Shtayyeh said that after all
of the US moves in favor of Israel, particularly the recognition of Jerusalem,
there is nothing left to negotiate. He said any proposal that ignores key
Palestinian demands will be rejected by the international community. The
European Union this week reiterated its call for peace talks aimed at
establishing a Palestinian state.
"Where are we going to have the Palestinian state?" he asked. "We are not
looking for an entity. We are looking for a sovereign state.""Palestinians are
not interested in economic peace. We are interested in ending occupation," he
said. "Life cannot be enjoyed under occupation."
Israel Demolishes Home of Palestinian Shooting Suspect
Jerusalem- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Israeli forces have razed
the home of a Palestinian who was killed during his attempted arrest on
suspicion of carrying out a drive-by shooting against Israelis in the occupied
West Bank. Seven people were wounded in the December 9 attack near the Israeli
settlement of Ofra in the occupied West Bank. The suspected gunman, Salah
Barghouti was killed as security forces attempted to arrest him in a December 12
raid in which Israel arrested more than 100 Palestinians. On Wednesday, border
police and defense ministry officials "demolished the apartment in which Salah
Barghouti lived" in the village of Kobar, north of the West Bank city of
Ramallah, the army said. Border police already razed the home of Barghouti's
brother, Assam, in the same village on March 7. Assam Barghouti faces trial in
the December 13 killing of two soldiers in a separate shooting nearby.
He is also accused of helping his brother carry out the Ofra attack. The armed
wing of Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip and has fought three wars
with Israel since 2008, claimed Salah Barghouti as one of its "fighters." Israel
routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks
against its citizens. It says the measure acts as a deterrent to future attacks
but human rights groups condemn the practice as collective punishment since
family members suffer from the actions of relatives.
Kuwait, UK Welcome New Palestinian Government
Ramallah- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas received Tuesday a letter from Kuwait's Emir Sabah
al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in which he congratulated him on forming the new
government. “I am pleased to express my sincere congratulations to you on
forming the new government. We wish its members success in achieving the best
interests of the brotherly Palestinian people and meeting their aspirations for
further progress and prosperity,” the letter said. The Emir wished Palestinians
achieve all their rights, including the establishment of their independent state
with Jerusalem as its capital. Acting Minister for the Middle East Mark Field
also welcomed the new Palestinian government on Tuesday. “I welcome the
formation of the new Palestinian government led by Prime Minister Mohammed
Shtayyeh,” Field said in a statement to the consulate in Jerusalem. “The United
Kingdom remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people and in
cooperation between the Palestinian and British governments.”In a statement,
British Consul General to Jerusalem Philip Hall also congratulated the new
Palestinian government. “I congratulate Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and the
whole cabinet on the formation of the new Palestinian government and wish them
every success in their new roles,” his statement read. “The UK looks forward to
continuing its close partnership with the Palestinian Authority in a range of
issues among them are the new government's priorities to reunite the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, strengthen democracy and build a strong economy for the
Palestinian people,” he added. Hall stressed that the UK would remain committed
to a two-state solution through negotiations, with Jerusalem as a joint capital.
Senior US Official Warns Against Operations in Response to
Deal of Century
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/The State Department’s
counterterrorism coordinator, Nathan Sales, arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for
“security consultations over border difficulties.”Sales met with a number of
military and intelligence officials and toured the northern border with Lebanon
and Syria, and the southern border with the Egyptian Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
He was briefed by Israeli officers about Iranian militias in Syria and Lebanon,
Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula. “We know what the
Iranians are capable of,” Sales said, as quoted by Israeli Ynetnews. He
expressed hope that countries considering conducting business with Tehran, would
decide against it. In the South, the US counterterrorism coordinator said he was
“amazed at the resources Hamas is investing in terror activity against
Israel.”He stressed that those were at the expense of investments in health,
education and housing. According to Sales, the United States was aware of Hamas’
priorities based on the movement’s spending. “It is not about improving the
standard of living of citizens, nor housing, nor education, but terrorism
against Israel, the same principle that we see in the north by Hezbollah and
Iran,” he said. He also stressed that ISIS’ terrorist activities in the Sinai
were a common concern for the United States, Egypt and Israel. Regarding the
so-called “deal of the century”, which will be announced by US President Donald
Trump, Sales said Washington was taking protective measures in case of active
opposition to the deal. He said he hoped the deal would be acceptable to both
sides. “At the same time, it is difficult to predict the reactions, but
Washington is taking preventive measures, whether for its soldiers or
diplomats,” he added.
Iranian woman cancels return home after arrest warrant
issued
Reuters, Paris/Wednesday, 17 April 2019/Sadaf Khadem, who last Saturday became
the first Iranian woman to contest an official boxing fight, has canceled her
return to Tehran after an arrest warrant was issued for her in her home country,
a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. An arrest warrant was also
issued against Mahyar Monshipour, the Iranian-born former boxing world champion
who set up the bout in western France and was planning to travel back to Iran
with Khadem this week, the same source told Reuters on Wednesday. The French
foreign ministry had no immediate comment. On Saturday, Khadem beat local boxer
Anne Chauvin in a 3x2 amateur bout, becoming the first Iranian woman to take
part in a boxing fight. The 24-year-old, who was in Paris on Monday, is
returning to Monshipour’s home town of Poitiers.
Iran Closes Oil Wells in Flood-hit Khuzestan amid Drop in
Output
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Iran has shut around a dozen oil wells
in the southwestern Khuzestan province because of massive floods, the
semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday, leading to a drop of up to
20,000 barrels per day in crude production. Iran's worst flooding in 70 years,
which started on March 19, has killed at least 76 people, forced more than
220,000 into emergency shelters and caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damage
to roads, bridges, homes and farmland, Reuters reported. "There are no oil leaks
at the Hoor al-Azim wetland area. We have closed 10 to 12 oil wells there as a
precautionary measure to prevent any environmental damages," Reuters quoted
Touraj Dehghani, the head of Iran's Petroleum Engineering and Development
Company (PEDEC), as telling the media. "The oil production of the field has
dropped between 15,000 to 20,000 barrels per day." Iranian media on Friday
reported oil output had been reduced in Khuzestan, home to the Azadegan and
Yadavaran oilfields. Iranian authorities have said the floods have not affected
crude exports. The United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in November after
pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and six world powers. The
sanctions have already halved Iranian oil exports. US President Donald Trump
eventually aims to halt Iranian oil exports, choking off Tehran's main source of
revenue. Washington is pressuring Iran to curtail its nuclear program and stop
backing militant groups across the Middle East.
Assad, Zarif Discuss Boosting Coordination after Trump’s
Move to Blacklist IRGC
Damascus - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Head of the Syrian
regime has discussed with the Iranian Foreign Minister boosting coordination
after Washington’s decision to classify the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
a terrorist organization. This came during a meeting on Tuesday between Bashar
al-Assad and Mohammed Javad Zarif in Damascus, from which the Iranian FM will
next travel to Turkey. Assad stressed Syria’s denouncement of the “irresponsible
US action against the IRGC,” saying it is part of “erroneous US policies that
constitute a main factor in regional instability,” according to Syria’s official
news agency, SANA. Zarif, for his part, condemned the US administration’s
decision regarding the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, noting that it doesn’t
differ from those on Jerusalem and the IRGC.These decisions indicate the failure
of Washington's policies in the region and the weakness of the US
administration, Zarif said. The FM reiterated that developments necessitate
coordination between Syria and Iran at all levels to enhance regional security
and stability and serve both countries’ interests, according to SANA. Tuesday’s
bilateral talks focused on developments in the region, the next round of Astana
talks on Syria and agreements signed between the two sides. Assad and Zarif also
discussed joint projects, stages of their implementation and the difficulties
encountering the process. Zarif had earlier met with his Syrian counterpart
Walid al-Muallem during which they discussed enhancing strategic relations
between the two countries, according to a briefed statement by the Syrian
foreign ministry’s official website. Over the years of conflict, Iranian
officials have repeatedly visited Syria, the last of which was a visit by Chief
of Staff of the Iranian armed forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri in March. Syrian
officials have also visited Tehran, most notably Assad, who made in February his
first visit to the Iranian capital since 2010. In August 2018, the two counties
signed a military cooperation agreement, which stipulates that Tehran provide
Syria with the support to rebuild its army and defense industries. They also
signed a “long-term” economic cooperation agreement covering several sectors,
most notably oil, electric power, agriculture and banking.Tehran opened in 2011
a $5.5 billion worth line of credit, most of which were allocated for supplying
Syria with oil derivatives.
Iraqi Arrest of Iranian Cleric on Suspicion of Drug
Trafficking Stirs Controversy
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi//Asharq Al-Awsat/April 17/19
The Iraqi security forces’ arrest of an Iranian cleric on suspicion of drug
trafficking at the Basra al-Shalamjah border crossing has sparked controversy on
official, popular and religious levels. The debate raged even further after a
video of the arrest was circulated on social media. In it, security forces were
seen insulting a Shiite cleric and accusing him of trafficking “red mercury”.
Deputy parliament Speaker Hassan al-Kaabi denounced the security forces’
“irresponsible behavior”. He said the video showed border security members
arresting the cleric without completing preliminary procedures, which is a
violation of human rights. He added that they defamed a person who has not yet
been found guilty. The popular reaction to the arrest varied between disdain and
support, with requests for treating clerics like ordinary people should they
break the law.It is unclear whether the cleric belongs to a gang that regularly
smuggles prohibited goods or if the security forces had violated their duties.
This ambiguity prompted the Interior Ministry to announced the detention of all
the security members who apprehended the cleric. In a statement, it said that
inspector general Jamal al-Assadi called for an investigation into the incident
and that a committee summoned the commander of the force which carried out the
arrest. The ministry said the commander and security forces reported that the
arrest was carried out legally following intelligence and confessions of
detained gang members. In a dramatic development, another cleric, Wathiq al-Battat,
of the so-called al-Mukhtar Army, published a video threatening the commander
and the security forces. Battat, who is known for his open loyalty to Iran,
deemed the arrest an insult to every cleric in the world, claiming that “red
mercury trafficking is a mythical charge.”The Interior Ministry has since filed
a lawsuit against Battat over his “barbaric” rhetoric and threats, comparing
them to ISIS’ mentality. It instructed that all legal measures be taken against
him ahead of bringing him to justice for his threats to the rule of law in Iraq.
It called on “the religious institution to continue to support the security
establishment”.
Sairoon alliance MP Sabah al-Uqaili called on the government to take strict
measures against Battat, while religious studies students at the Hawza of
al-Najaf seminary disavowed the cleric over his remarks. In a statement, they
first condemned the unprofessional behavior of the border security forces
towards the religious cleric and the video which slandered him. They also
rejected Battat’s statements, deeming them “unacceptable” and a threat to public
security. They pointed out that Battat is known for his “disorderly behavior”,
saying he had previously been arrested by the security services for making such
statements against the state’s sovereignty and people’s security.
Haftar Refuses to Halt Tripoli Operation as Sarraj Warns
Europe of Refugee Wave
Cairo, Brussels – Khaled Mahmoud and Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April,
2019/Despite mounting western and international pressure, Libyan National Army (LNA)
commander Khalifa Haftar refused to halt his operation against Tripoli.
Officials close to Haftar told Asharq Al-Awsat that he rejected offers from
Italy and France to reach a ceasefire. No details of the truce were revealed.
Some United Nations Security Council members have been pressing for a ceasefire
in Libya and Britain submitted a draft resolution for an immediate halt in
hostilities. The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, expresses “grave concern at
military activity in Libya near Tripoli, which began following the launching of
a military offensive by the LNA ... and threatens the stability of Libya.” It
also demands that all parties in Libya immediately de-escalate the situation,
commit to a ceasefire, and engage with the United Nations to end hostilities.
Haftar launched an operation to rid Tripoli from terrorists and criminal gangs
on April 4. On the ground, fierce clashes were reported on Tuesday afternoon
between the LNA and forces loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National
Accord (GNA) in the western military region in al-Aziziya in southern Tripoli.
The LNA has been battling to capture the al-Zahraa district in the area. The LNA
stressed that it will press on with its offensive. Commander of western region
operations Abdulsalam al-Hassi told Asharq Al-Awsat that “morale was high and
everything was progressing in the right direction on all fronts.” Meanwhile,
Sarraj warned during an interview with Italian media that the conflict in Libya
could lead to a wave of more than 800,000 refugees towards Europe. He told La
Republica daily: “We are confronted with a hostile war that could have
repercussions on the entire Mediterranean. Italy and Europe must be united and
firm in confronting the war waged by Khalifa Haftar.”He also accused the LNA
commander of betraying Libya and the international community, warning that the
destruction in his country could reach its neighbors.
Sarraj’s deputy, Ahmed Maiteeq, was in Italy this week where he met with Prime
Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday. La Republica also reported Qatar’s Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as saying that an arms embargo
must be imposed on the LNA. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bon Bensouda, called on all warring parties in Libya
to respect international laws. “I am deeply concerned about the escalation of
violence in Libya in the context of the resurging conflict arising from the
advance of the LNA towards Tripoli, and related fighting with forces aligned
with the GNA,” she said. “As Prosecutor of the ICC, I call on all parties and
armed groups involved in the fighting to fully respect the rules of
international humanitarian law. This includes taking all necessary measures to
protect civilians, and civilian infrastructures, including schools, hospitals
and detention centers. I urge all parties to the conflict not to commit any
crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction, and in particular, for commanders to
ensure that their subordinates do not do so.”“I also remind all commanders,
military or civilian, who have effective control, authority and command over
their forces that they themselves may be held criminally responsible for crimes
committed by their subordinates. The law is clear: where commanders knew or
should have known that crimes are being committed, and they failed and/or
neglected to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or repress
their commission, they may be held individually criminally accountable.”She
revealed that her office was currently investigating several cases in the Libya
situation and continues to actively monitor the developing situation in the
country. “I will not hesitate to expand my investigations and potential
prosecutions to cover any new instances of crimes falling within the Court’s
jurisdiction, with full respect for the principle of complementarity. No one
should doubt my determination in this regard,” she added.
Protests Loosen Stranglehold on Algerian Media
Algiers - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Weeks of anti-government
protests have helped Algerian journalists shake off the chokehold of
state-imposed censorship but their work remains complicated and is often
contested by demonstrators. After the first protests erupted in February,
journalists working for state media complained that their bosses had imposed a
news blackout on the rallies against Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid to seek a fifth
presidential term. The protests have since become headline news on both private
and public television channels, with live footage of nationwide demonstrations.
On a recent Friday, the main day of protests, however, television crews were
shouted down and cursed by demonstrators. "It reflects the hatred" protesters
feel for the main private television channels because they totally ignored the
first rallies, Khaled Drareni of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) told Agence
France Presse. The lack of coverage triggered shock in Algeria where private
channels are usually quick off the mark and often run live reports. But they are
mostly owned by businessmen close to Bouteflika. These media outlets "have tried
to redeem themselves" by zooming in on the protests, said Drareni, who himself
is a journalist, but they also report on alleged "manipulation" of the protest
movement. Over the past week, dozens of journalists employed by state radio and
television have staged their own sit-in demanding more freedom. "There has been
change, there are small windows that have opened," said Imene Khemici of EPTV at
a protest. "We now have two specialized programs where we can invite people from
different political persuasions, people from the opposition who can speak
openly."Opposition figures and former officials who had been banned for the past
quarter of a century are back on the airwaves.
"The most striking thing is how the public media have evolved, especially
radio," said Omar Belhouchet, director of the private newspaper El Watan. As an
example, the French-language radio station Chaine 3 now broadcasts live debates
several times a week, a feature that was previously banned. In the late 1980s,
Algeria saw the emergence of dozens of privately-owned media outlets but their
freedoms were quickly stifled by the outbreak of the country's bloody civil war
in 1992. Several journalists were killed by Islamist groups during the decade of
conflict, and the army imposed strict censorship on the media. Newspapers in
Algeria largely depend for their survival on revenues from state-funded
advertising. Private advertising comes mostly from businesses linked to
stalwarts of the regime, said media sociologist Redouane Boudjemaa. The media
"reflect the diversity of the clans within the political system rather than the
diversity of the Algerian population", said Boudjemaa. He cautioned that the
changes in Algeria will not necessarily pave the way for greater media
independence. "In some ways we've moved from censorship to disinformation,
especially on private channels," he said.
Egypt Refers Cases of 2 Defendants in Killing of Christians
to Grand Mufti
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/A court in Egypt has sentenced
two defendants to death over a 2017 terrorist attack against the Saint Menas and
Pope Cyril IV Church in Helwan district on the outskirts of Cairo. The Cairo
criminal court referred on Tuesday the sentence to the country’s Grand Mufti for
his non-binding opinion, as required by Egyptian law, pending a final verdict.
It set May 12 to issue sentences on all 11 defendants in the case. They are
accused of establishing, leading and joining a takfiri group, financing its
elements, killing nine Christian civilians and one police officer, attempting to
murder others and resisting police by force and violence. The prosecutor also
charged the defendants with manufacturing and possessing a bomb and attempting
to use it to endanger people’s lives and property. The group also sought to
recruit ISIS militants abroad to prepare for carrying out terrorist crimes in
Egypt. They were accused of using social media platforms to send and receive
messages from ISIS and assign its members terrorist missions, in addition to
possessing firearms and ammunition for use in terrorist crimes. According to the
public prosecution’s probe, confessions of the arrested suspects, examination of
the surveillance cameras at the site of attacks and reports of the General
Administration of Criminal Evidence Verification indicated that some of the
accused had adopted ISIS’s takfiri ideology. Also Tuesday, the Zagazig criminal
court in al-Sharqia Governorate in Egypt's Delta region sentenced three people
to five years imprisonment. They were accused of conspiring with Palestinian
terrorist leaders to purchase materials used for making explosives to target
police in North Sinai. The Alexandria criminal court also sentenced 36 people
convicted of joining the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization to five years
in prison. They were arrested in Alexandria in 2017.
Egypt Seeks 6% Economic Growth, 27% Increase in Investments
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Egypt aims to achieve a steady
economic growth rate of 6 percent during the fiscal year 2019-2020, up from the
current 5.6 percent, announced Egyptian Minister of Planning Hala al-Saeed. The
aim is to reach 7.2 percent by the end of the fiscal year 2022-2023, she told
parliament while presenting a draft of the sustainable development plan for the
FY 2019-2020. The statement was referred to parliament’s budget and planning
committee for review and discussion. In achieving a high and sustainable growth
rate, the plan aims to boost promising economic activities with high
productivity and rapid growth, namely those that interrelate and depend on other
sectors and activities, said Saeed. She reviewed growth rates of various sectors
with 15 percent for communications, 9 percent for construction, followed by
three sectors with growth rates of around 5 percent each: manufacturing, the
Suez Canal and electricity. Saeed explained that the plan aims to continue the
structural transformation of the economic growth sources with increased reliance
on investment and net change in exports. She noted that in light of this high
economic growth, gross domestic product (gdp) is expected to surge within the
plan’s year to about EGP 6.3 trillion with current prices and closing in on EGP
4.1 trillion at constant prices. The plan seeks to increase total investment to
18.6 percent from 17.3 percent in the year 2018-2019, she continued, adding that
the 2019-2020 plan is aimed at achieving total investments of EGP 1.17 trillion,
with a 27 percent increase. She noted that the plan takes into account balancing
between the goals of human building and improving the quality of life when
considering the distribution of sectoral investments, so that the commodity
sector group is about 40 percent, services sectors about 34 percent and social
and human services sectors about 26 percent. In the statement, Saeed pointed to
the achievements of the Egyptian economy during the past four years, with the
growth rate exceeding the 5 percent mark, unemployment falling below 9 percent
and the inflation falling to 13.8 percent in March. Results of the first half of
2018–2019 revealed the completion of 1,133 projects in 20 sectors at a total
cost of EGP 311 billion.
Turkey: For the First Time in 10 Years, Unemployment Jumps
to 14.7%
Ankara- Said Abdel Razek/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/ The
unemployment rate in Turkey stood at its highest rate for ten years at 14.7
percent in January 2019, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced.
It increased 3.9 percent on an annual basis. "The number of unemployed over
increased by 1,259,000 to 4,668,000 persons in the period of January 2019 in
Turkey compared with the same period of the previous year," the statement read.
Turkey's unemployment rate stood at 11 percent in 2018, rising 0.1 percent
year-on-year, TurkStat announced. The number of unemployed persons increased by
83,000 last year, reaching nearly 3.537 million people. Last year, the lira lost
nearly 30 percent against the dollar leading inflation to increase more than 25
percent before it improved to the level of 20 percent. The World Bank forecast
inflation to reach around 12.7 percent during the current year and 11.4 percent
in 2020. An international report on bankruptcy by Euler Hermes, a commercial
credit insurer, revealed that the number of bankrupt companies in Turkey reached
15,400 companies in 2018 and that the number would rise by 1,000 in 2019. On
another level, the figures provided by e-commerce platform Turkeyol indicate
that the volume of trade between the Middle Eastern countries and Turkey grew by
25 percent in the last decade to USD42.9 million. The largest growth of trade
volume was recorded with Iraq with 141 percent, followed by Yemen with 105
percent, Jordan with 97 percent and Saudi Arabia with 59 percent. 75 percent of
the trade between Turkey and the Middle Eastern countries was with Iraq, the
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The volume of trade between the
Middle Eastern countries and Turkey is expected to reach USD50 billion by the
end of 2019.
Yusuf Yenitürkoğulları, the founder of Turkeyol, said: “E-export is of critical
importance for the region," noting that the volume of trade between Turkey and
the Middle Eastern countries would increase through e-export. “At Turkeyol, we
have set up an online platform for wholesale purchases and sales and eliminated
all barriers that might be faced within the course of commercial activities,” he
added.
Turkey’s opposition takes office in Istanbul, appeal still
pending
ReutersظWednesday, 17 April 2019/Turkey’s main opposition candidate was declared
Istanbul’s mayor on Wednesday after election recounts were finally completed,
despite an appeal still pending by President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party to rerun
the vote in the country’s largest city. The final result of the March 31 local
elections showed a narrow victory for the secularist opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) in Turkey’s commercial hub, ending 25 years of control by
the AK Party (AKP) and its Islamist predecessors. The loss is especially hard
for Erdogan, who launched his political career in Istanbul as mayor in the 1990s
and has triumphed in more than a dozen elections since his Islamist-rooted AKP
came to power in 2002. The Turkish lira, which has dipped since the election,
firmed on Wednesday. As he formally took office after a campaign which featured
months of harsh rhetoric from Erdogan’s AK Party and more than two weeks of
challenges and recounts, Ekrem Imamoglu promised to work for all 16 million
residents of the city. “We never gave up, we never gave up on our battle for
democracy and rights,” he told supporters at Istanbul’s municipality building.
“We are aware of our responsibilities and the needs of this city. We will start
to serve immediately.” Imamoglu’s margin of victory - the final count put him
some 13,000 votes, or less than 0.2 percentage points, ahead of the AK Party
candidate and former prime minister Binali Yildirim - prompted several AKP
challenges. On Tuesday, after 16 days of appeals and recounts, the AKP asked the
High Election Board (YSK) to annul and rerun the election in Istanbul over what
it said were irregularities. Its nationalist MHP allies made a similar request
on Wednesday. “We are aware there are ongoing processes... We hope the relevant
authorities will complete these processes in the most sensitive and just way,”
Imamoglu said.
US Investor Sees Promising Opportunities in Egypt, Kuwait
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 17 April, 2019/Investing in the Middle East
has never been for the faint-hearted. Marshall Stocker should know. Drawn by
Egypt’s economic promise, he moved to the country from Boston in 2010, Bloomberg
reported. He had a plan to buy and redevelop historic buildings in downtown
Cairo on behalf of Emergent Property Advisors, a company he co-founded, it said.
But revolution ended President Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule a year later,
and the economy sputtered amid the political conflict. Stocker decided to leave
in 2012 and later published a memoir, Don’t Stand Under a Tree When It Rains,
documenting his experiences as an investor in Egypt during the revolt. “As noted
in the ending of the book,” he says, “there is an Egyptian saying: ‘If you drink
from the Nile, you will return.’”According to Bloomberg, that proved prophetic.
Stocker, 44, back in Boston and now managing money at Eaton Vance Corp., is once
again investing in the most populous Arab nation—this time in publicly traded
equities. Egypt’s stock market is one of the world’s best performers this year
through mid-March as the nation pushes ahead with tough measures to revive the
economy. The Eaton Vance Emerging and Frontier Countries Equity Fund, which
Stocker helps manage, outperformed 93 percent of its peers over the previous
three months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg on March 21. Stocker spoke
with Bloomberg News’s Netty Ismail about his approach to investing in Egypt and
other parts of the region. Asked what looks attractive in the Middle East,
Stocker said: “The opportunities that we see exist in countries where there’s
some type of development that’s going to improve earnings and cash flows or
reduce the discount rate on those cash flows. What causes companies to earn more
money or have lower discount rates are increases in economic freedom: Where the
rule of law is improving, the size of the government is shrinking in the
economy, and where there’s trade liberalization or simplification of regulatory
policy.”“We’re looking to make broad equity investments in countries where we
think economic freedom will be increasing” such as Egypt and Kuwait, he said.
“In Egypt, you’ve got the size of government shrinking, as evidenced by the
contraction in the fiscal deficit, and the more effective management of monetary
supply to address inflation.”“I don’t want to overlook Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We
do consider those very investable markets. The high level of economic freedom
and the economic sensitivities of the leadership there are very good,” Stocker
told Bloomberg. “It’s just generally kind of reflected in asset prices, whereas
I’d much rather buy a turnaround story like Egypt, or perhaps a long-neglected
capital market like Kuwait,” he added.
Government of Canada will defend interests of Canadians
doing business in Cuba
April 17, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the
following statement regarding Canadian businesses operating in Cuba and the
decision by the United States not to suspend Title III of the Cuban Liberty and
Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996, commonly known as the Helms-Burton
Act:
“Canada is deeply disappointed with today’s announcement. We will be reviewing
all options in response to this U.S. decision.
“Since the U.S. announced in January it would review Title III, the Government
of Canada has been regularly engaged with the U.S. government to raise our
concerns about the possible negative consequences for Canadians—concerns that
are long-standing and well known to our U.S. partners.
“I have met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to register those concerns.
Canadian and U.S. officials have had detailed discussions on the Helms-Burton
Act and Canada’s Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act. I have also discussed
this issue with the EU.
“I have been in contact with Canadian businesses to reaffirm we will fully
defend the interests of Canadians conducting legitimate trade and investment
with Cuba.”
Quick facts
The Helms-Burton Act came into force in the United States in 1996. The act aims
to prevent foreign countries from engaging in international trade with Cuba by
subjecting foreign nationals to travel restrictions and financial liabilities in
the United States. Since then, successive U.S. administrations have continuously
suspended application of Title III (financial liabilities) in the maximum
six-month increments.
On January 16, 2019, the U.S. Secretary of State notified Congress that he would
be suspending Title III for 45 days, instead of the typical six months, in order
to conduct a careful review of the right to bring action under the Title.
In 1996, the Government of Canada amended its Foreign Extraterritorial Measures
Act to mitigate the extraterritorial effects of the Helms-Burton Act and to
offer explicit legal protections for Canadian businesses.
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 17-18/19
Coups Claiming to Be Revolutions
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 17/19
Coups and revolutions are united in that they oust ruling regimes. They differ
however, in that the revolution is driven by the people, or they are at least a
main part of it, while a coup is usually led by the military or some of its
officers. A revolution does not target politics alone, but a culture and society
as well. A coup is meanwhile, limited to a change in authority and often seeks
to only remove some figures in power. This is why a revolution appears proud. It
takes place in squares and before the entire world. A coup, in contrast, is
orchestrated in dark rooms behind closed doors. It is ashamed of itself and its
name. This is why coupists claim that they are revolutionaries. They seek to
steer clear from conspiracies against the people and claim to have noble goals.
They also liken themselves to the American and French revolutions.
Revolutions compose songs that celebrate the world, while coups compose anthems
that threat it.
Revolutions are not always necessarily noble. They sometimes produce regimes
that are similar to the ones yielded by coups. They may encourage conspirators
to come out into the open and threaten the people. Revolutions in their new
civilian and non-violent forms, which were first launched in Central Europe in
the late 1980s, and later adopted by the Arab spring, are noble, especially when
compared to what they were rising up against. The truth is that the Arab region
was been mired in military coups since the days of their countries’
independence. Today, regardless of their losses and gains, they are embroiled in
popular revolutions. The majority of the revolts are today taking place in
countries that have witnessed coups. It is as if the people are seeking to
cleanse their history from the flaws of the military.
Coups in the Arab world started with Bakr Sidqi in Iraq in 1936. It was followed
by a coup by Husni al-Za'im in Syria in 1949. July 23, 1952 was a landmark date
in which the Nasserite coup brought in several new figures onto the Arab scene.
In Yemen, the military copied the Nasserite example, once with Abdullah al-Sallal
in 1962 and Ali Abdullah Saleh in 1978. The Baath party drew from the
experiences of Husni al-Za'im, Sami al-Hinnawi and Adib Shishakli to stage a
coup in 1963, which later paved the way for others that were crowned with the
arrival of Hafez Assad to power in 1970.
In Sudan, coups saw Ibrahim Abboud come to power in 1958, Gaafar Nimeiry in 1969
and Omar al-Bashir in 1989. In Libya, Moammar al-Gaddafi was inspired by
developments in the neighboring country to stage a coup in 1969 and added his
own exotic twist to it.
The situation in Tunisia and Algeria were more complex. In Tunisia, Habib
Bourguiba sought to separate the military from politics, so he did not stage a
coup. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali launched a security coup in 1989. In Algeria, the
“revolution of a million martyrs” did not lead to a better reality than the one
produced by coups. In 1965, Houari Boumédiène rose up against his superior Ahmed
Ben Bella.
As for Iraq, it is among the countries that has witnessed the most significant
upheaval. A local revolution did not rise up against the coup of 1968, but it
took place years later from abroad, a move that was supported by the majority of
Iraqis at the time.Throughout the decades coupists sought to insult, silence and
impoverish the people by claiming that they were championing fateful causes and
false victories. They replaced the reality with their lies, eventually sparking
revolutions that are driven by the people’s concerns, such as freedom, dignity,
peace and earning a living. The developments in Sudan and Algeria have seen the
oppressed rise up against the coup.
Opinion/What Will Trump Do First: Make Mideast Peace or
Strike Iran?
دانيال شابيرو/الهآرتس: هل ستكون خطوة الرئيس ترامب الأولى
العمل على عملية السلام في الشرق الأوسط أم ضرب إيران؟
Daniel B. Shapiro/Haaretz/April 17/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73936/%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d9%87%d9%84-%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%83%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d9%88%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84/
Fresh off the president's help securing re-election, Trump and Netanyahu appear
more closely aligned than ever. But both that alliance, and relations with their
Arab allies, is about to face a series of severe reality tests.
President Donald Trump’s strong support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in
his reelection campaign underscored the close alliance between the two leaders.
On numerous issues, they have similar outlooks, have coordinated closely, and
have defined their nation’s security, as well as their political fortunes, as
being very much intertwined.
While the coalition negotiations are still ahead, it is clear that Netanyahu
will continue in office, making continued smooth coordination between the two
governments likely. Even so, some challenging decisions still lie ahead for both
of them.
No American administration and Israeli government, no matter how close, are
always one hundred percent aligned, as demonstrated by Trump’s surprise
announcement of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria late last year.
On three major issues, decisions await that could test the close coordination
between these two allies.
First, the administration has to decide whether and when to present its plan for
"the deal of the century," for Israeli-Palestinian peace, as well as the content
of the plan.
Already, the timetable is slipping. After initial indications that the plan
would be presented shortly after the Israeli elections, the administration is
now signaling that it is more likely to wait until after the Israeli coalition
is formed, and the Passover and Ramadan holidays have passed. That takes us to
June, at the earliest. At the same time, the substance of the plan is coming
into greater focus. In a series of recent statements, Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo has revealed more and more about the thinking behind the administration’s
still-secret plan.
He has signaled clearly that the plan will not be based on the formula of two
states for two peoples, can accommodate Israeli moves to annex West Bank
settlements, and will seek to substitute economic benefits for Palestinians -
funded by the Arab Gulf states - for fulfilling their political aspirations for
statehood.
But a question hangs over this decision for both governments. Such a plan is
likely to be rejected by the Palestinians (in fairness, they would reject almost
any plan proposed by Trump), by Arab states (who continue to back the two-state
idea), by Europe and Russia, and by Democratic presidential candidates in the
United States. The latter group will likely make clear that they will not feel
bound by such a proposal, and will plan to return to the traditional U.S.
position in support of two states in 2021.
So can such a plan be viably implemented, or - if it fails - could Israel
proceed with unilateral annexation moves, at acceptable costs in such an
environment?
One of those costs could be in U.S. and Israeli relations with Arab states,
which presents the second issue for decision. Saudi, UAE, and other Gulf state
leaders have made clear their appreciation for Trump’s strong stand against
Iran. They are also closely aligned with Israel on the issue, have permitted a
range of gestures of normalization, and deemphasized the Palestinian issue’s
importance.
But they have not yet been asked to lend public support for a U.S. plan that
buries any hopes of Palestinian statehood, much less fund it. They have not yet
been asked to look the other way at overt Israeli moves, with U.S. backing, to
annex portions of the West Bank. They have not yet been asked to accept U.S. and
Israeli positions that their key Arab allies - Jordan and Egypt - fear could be
destabilizing.
The signs of this tension are growing. King Abdullah of Jordan recently
complained to Members of Congress that he is completely in the dark about the
political elements of the Trump plan, but worried by what he smells is coming.
Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi followed up last week’s warm Oval Office
meeting with Trump with an announcement that Egypt would not participate in the
American plan for a unified Arab military force - dubbed the "Arab NATO."
So the question raised here is: can Israel’s warming ties with Arab states, and
can those Arab states’ partnerships with the United States, withstand the
presentation of a Trump plan that seeks to kill all possibilities for two
states? Are the gains in those relationships truly irreversible, or could they
be squandered?
Finally, on Iran, the administration faces a critical decision as time in
Trump’s first term winds down: will they take some more definitive action to set
back the Iranian nuclear program?
The steps so far - withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and increasing
sanctions - have won support from Israel and Arab Gulf states, and have imposed
considerable economic pain on Iran. But Iran has remained in the nuclear deal,
and appears to be trying to wait Trump out.
In the little more than year and a half that Trump can be sure he has left, and
barely a year before he will be fully engaged in his reelection campaign, at
least some of his advisers will argue that he must do more. The administration
this week floated an argument that the Authorization for the Use of Military
Force (AUMF) passed by Congress in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks can apply to
strikes on Iran nearly two decades later.
With some Democratic presidential candidates voicing support for the United
States returning to the Iran nuclear deal if they are victorious, Trump’s Middle
East allies may also hope for a more definitive blow to Iran’s nuclear program
during his first term.
But that alignment of interests may not extend to who should strike such a blow.
And that could flip the decision back on them.
Is Trump, who campaigned fiercely against the U.S. war in Iraq and has been in a
hurry to get U.S. troops out of Syria, prepared to start a new war in the
region, just as he goes back to the voters? And if not, Israel and its Arab
partners may face their own decision when Trump informs them that they have an
American green light to act. That is not a decision that Netanyahu or any Arab
leader has ever faced, but it is time that they give serious thought to how they
would respond.
Daniel B. Shapiro is Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Institute for National
Security Studies in Tel Aviv. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, and Senior
Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Obama Administration.
Twitter: @DanielBShapiro
Lessons to be learned from the ashes of Notre Dame
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/April 17/19
One of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, the 14th century Notre
Dame de Paris is not just a building but a symbol. The history of the cathedral
runs parallel to that of the French state. It hosted the coronation of Napoleon
I as emperor, was the setting of the funerals of several presidents, and its
bells rang to celebrate the liberation of France from the Nazis. This week, the
world watched in horror as the cathedral’s iconic spire collapsed, ravaged by
flames during a 15-hour blaze that has brought a divided nation together in
shock.
Attracting more than 12 million visitors per year, the cathedral is the
most-visited monument in one of the world’s most-visited cities. It is therefore
of little surprise that the fate of the building was in the hearts and on the
minds of many as the embers glowed late into Monday night. In the long history
of this great building, this week’s fire is only the latest chapter in a story
that has seen desecration and, at times, significant destruction. The spire that
was lost was itself a relatively recent addition to the structure, built during
a major restoration project in the mid-19th century. A spectacular bout of
fundraising, which has already seen more than half a billion euros pledged to
the cathedral’s reconstruction, highlights the importance of such monuments to
not only national heritage but also to humanity’s common artistic and cultural
heritage. The precariousness of such buildings and the importance of their good
maintenance and upkeep is the key lesson to be learnt. In London, St Paul’s
Cathedral stands on the site of London’s own Gothic cathedral, which was
destroyed during the Great Fire of 1666. The vulnerability of such large
buildings was raised by the Church of England earlier this year in a major
review of the governance of its 42 cathedrals. It warned of the “critical state”
of historical buildings owing to aging wiring and lighting.
This week’s events in Paris have served as a harrowing reminder of the need to
protect buildings that are part of the fabric of nations. Eerily, as Notre Dame
went up in flames, a fire broke out at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third
holiest site in Islam. The flames engulfed the Marwani Prayer Room, also known
as Solomon’s Stables. The fire at the mosque received minimal attention from the
international media, though it served to highlight the vulnerability of
historical buildings to damage. To Muslims, the loss of the mosque’s Dome of the
Rock — the first dome to ever be used in Islamic architecture — would be
devastating. Such occurrences have focused attention once more on historical
buildings at risk of irreparable damage. At the center of this has been the UK
Houses of Parliament — one of the world’s most famous buildings — which MPs from
a joint committee in 2016 warned could be at risk of a “catastrophic event”
unless urgent action was taken. Another Gothic structure whose ample timber and
crumbling structure put the entire building at great risk, the loss of the
Palace of Westminster would not only be a catastrophe for the UK, but for the
entire world. To democracies worldwide, seeing the “Mother of Parliaments” go up
in smoke would be tragic. The collective response to the blaze at Notre Dame is
encouraging at a time when internationalism is struggling to overcome divisive
global forces and trends.
Most of the Palace of Westminster was built between 1840 and 1876 after a fire
in 1834 destroyed much of the previous building. However, a handful of fires
still break out in the old building on a yearly basis. MPs and peers are due to
move out in 2025 to allow for a major six-year, £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion)
renovation program, but until then the building remains at great risk. It is
thought that the fire at Notre Dame was linked to its own extensive renovation,
highlighting the need to ensure that such works do not put old buildings at
greater risk.
The collective response to the blaze at Notre Dame is encouraging at a time when
internationalism is struggling to overcome divisive global forces and trends.
The fate of a Catholic building has encouragingly mobilized a gargantuan
international response, blind of faith but united in the preservation of
cultural heritage. This author wrote of the significance of the loss of Mosul’s
12th century mosque in this paper in 2017, with the destruction of its famous
leaning Al-Hadba (or hunchback) minaret a great calamity. It is indeed a great
shame that some hunchbacks are more important than others when it comes to the
international response to cultural destruction.
*Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator, and an adviser to private clients
between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid
Good behavior in public, and why it matters
Dimah Talal Alsharif/Arab News/April 17/19
Respect for public decency is one of the most important characteristics of a
civilized society. Some confuse the right to enjoy their own privacy with the
right of society as a whole to benefit from the rules of public decency, which
vary according to each society and culture.
Moreover, Islam requires us to respect the basic ethics of each society, and to
show due respect for the diversity of their cultures and traditions, whether in
our own conduct or in how we relate to our environment and the other members of
society.
Last week the Saudi Cabinet approved regulations aimed at maintaining public
decency, with 10 main provisions. These include prohibitions on any form of
abuse in public places, on insulting or disrespecting Saudi culture and
traditions, wearing indecent clothing, writing or painting on walls without
official authorization, making distasteful statements, and any public act that
may harm, intimidate or endanger people.
Offenders may be fined up to SR5,000 ($1,333), and double that amount if the
offense is repeated.
The Ministry of the Interior and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National
Heritage will work together to determine how the new laws will be implemented. A
clear schedule of detailed offenses and corresponding fines is expected in due
course. Obviously, there are many important elements to enforcing such laws. For
example, monitoring people’s behavior on the street will surely require
dedicated teams of people, and cannot be left to existing security and traffic
officers.
My suggestion would be the establishment of a steering team by the Ministry of
the Interior and the tourism commission to monitor public decency offenses, and
link them in the same way as traffic offenses to each person’s Absher account;
this would ensure that individuals treat the issue of public decency seriously
and responsibly. In addition, the activation of the new laws should be
accompanied by an adequate period of guidance before the imposition of fines, in
order to familiarize society with the nature of potential offenses and to
educate them about their consequences.
Finally, the aim of such laws is to encourage and promote among individuals the
principles of respect for public decency. Imposing fines and penalties is
certainly an effective way of doing so, but not as effective as raising
awareness and providing appropriate guidance; this would definitely have a
beneficial effect on how people behave, even when they are outside the
geographical area covered by the law itself.
*Dimah Talal Alsharif is a Saudi legal consultant, head of the health law
department at the law firm of Majed Garoub and a member of the International
Association of Lawyers. Twitter: @dimah_alsharif
Our zero-emission future is in sight
Jeffrey D. Sachs/Arab News/April 17/19
The solution to human-induced climate change is finally in clear view. Thanks to
rapid advances in zero-carbon energy technologies, and in sustainable food
systems, the world can realistically end greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century
at little or no incremental cost, and with decisive benefits for safety and
health. The main obstacle is inertia: Politicians continue to favor the fossil
fuel industry and traditional agriculture mainly because they don’t know better
or are on the take.
Most global warming, and a huge burden of air pollution, results from burning
fossil fuels: Coal, oil and gas. The other main source of environmental
destruction is agriculture, including deforestation, excessive fertilizer use,
and methane emissions from livestock. The energy system should shift from
heavily polluting fossil fuels to clean, zero-carbon energy sources such as wind
and solar power, and the food system should shift from feed grains and livestock
to healthier and more nutritious products. This combined transformation would
cause net greenhouse gas emissions to fall to zero by mid-century and then
become net negative, as atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed by forests and
soils.
Reaching net zero emissions by mid-century, followed by negative emissions,
would likely secure the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Crelative
to Earth’s pre-industrial temperature. Alarmingly, warming has already reached
1.1 C, and the global temperature is rising by about 0.2 C each decade. That’s
why the world must reach net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. The shift
toward clean energy would prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths each year from
air pollution, and the shift to healthy, environmentally sustainable diets could
prevent around 10 million deaths per year.
A low-cost shift to clean energy is now feasible for every region of the world,
owing to the plummeting costs of solar and wind power, and breakthroughs in
energy storage. The total system costs of renewable energy, including
transmission and storage, are now roughly on par with fossil fuels. Yet fossil
fuels still get government preferences through subsidies, as a result of
incessant lobbying by Big Coal and Big Oil, and the lack of planning for
renewable alternatives.
The key step is a massive increase in power generation from renewables, mainly
wind and solar. Some downstream energy uses, such as automobile transport and
home heating, will be directly electrified. Other downstream users — in
industry, shipping, aviation and trucking — will rely on clean fuels produced by
renewable electricity. Clean (zero-emission) fuels include hydrogen, synthetic
liquids and synthetic methane. At the same time, farms should shift toward
plant-based foods.
By transforming our energy and food systems, we can enjoy low-cost power and
healthy, satisfying diets without ruining the environment.
Asia’s continued construction of coal plants, together with ongoing
deforestation in Southeast Asia, Africa and Brazil, is putting our climate, air
and nutrition at huge and wholly unnecessary risk. In the US, the Trump
administration’s promotion of fossil fuels, despite American’s vast renewable
energy potential, adds to the absurdity. So does the renewed call by Brazil’s
new populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, to develop — that is, to deforest — the
Amazon.
So, what to do?
The most urgent step now is to educate governments and businesses. National
governments should prepare technical engineering assessments of their countries’
potential to end greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. And businesses and
banks should urgently examine the technologically compelling case for clean,
safe energy and food systems. An important studyshows that every world region
has the wind, solar and hydropower potential to decarbonize the energy system.
Countries at higher latitudes, such as the US, Canada, northern European
countries and Russia, can tap relatively more wind than tropical countries. All
countries can shift to electric cars, and power trucks, ships, planes and
factories on new zero-carbon fuels.
This energy transition will create millions more jobs than will be cut in the
fossil fuel industries. Shareholders in companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron
that refuse to acknowledge the coming energy transition will end up paying a
heavy price. Their ongoing fossil fuel investments will be stranded assets in
future years. Governments and utility commissions should require that all new
power-generating capacity is zero carbon. As old fossil fuel plants age and are
shut down, they should be replaced by clean power generation on a competitive
basis, for example through renewable energy auctions. China and India, in
particular, should stop building new coal-fired power plants at home, and
capital-exporting countries like China and Japan should stop financing new
coal-fired plants in the rest of Asia, such as Pakistan and the Philippines.
Private sector firms will compete intensively to lower still further the costs
of renewable energy systems, including power generation, energy storage, and
downstream uses such as electric vehicles, electric heating and cooking, and the
new hydrogen economy. Governments should set limits on emissions, and the
private sector should compete to deliver low-cost solutions. Government and
business together should finance new research and development to drive costs
even lower.
The story with land use is the same. If Bolsonaro really thinks he’s going to
bring about a Brazilian economic boom by opening the Amazon to further
deforestation for soybeans and cattle ranches, he should think again. Such an
effort would isolate Brazil and force the major downstream food companies,
facing the threat of a massive global consumer backlash, to stop buying
Brazilian products. Consumer foods are going another way. The big news is that
Burger King, in a new venture with Impossible Foods, is moving toward
plant-based burgers. The "Impossible Whopper" tastes just like its beef
counterpart, but smart chemistry using plant-based ingredients allows burger
lovers to savor their meal while saving the planet. By transforming our energy
and food systems, we can enjoy low-cost power and healthy, satisfying diets
without ruining the environment. The high-school kids striking for climate
safetyhave done their homework. Politicians like Donald Trump and Bolsonaro need
to do theirs or get out of the way.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health
Policy and Management at Columbia University, is Director of Columbia’s Center
for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions
Network. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
www.project-syndicate.org