LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 20/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.august20.19.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience,
desiring to act honourably in all things
Letter to the Hebrews 13/18-25: “Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear
conscience, desiring to act honourably in all things. I urge you all the more to
do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon. Now may the God of peace,
who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep,
by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so
that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. I appeal to
you, brothers and sisters, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written
to you briefly. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free;
and if he comes in time, he will be with me when I see you. Greet all your
leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. Grace be with
all of you.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on August 19-20/2019
Report: U.S. Sanctions to Target Christian Ministers, Businessmen
Hariri in Family Dinner with Pompeo at End of Washington Visit
Aoun Vows Development for Chouf and Aley, Stresses Christian-Druze Unity
Aoun in chat with press says didn’t resort to law condemning LBP rumors to
‘preserve freedoms’
Aoun: U.S. Hasn't Pressured Us and We'll Overcome Crisis
Bassil Says to Endorse Any Initiative Put Forward by al-Rahi
Safieddine Says U.S. Action against Hizbullah Futile
Apostolic Nuncio: Youth volunteering for people with special needs contributes
to peace
Hezbollah Brings Arson Terror To The Northern Front
Footage appears to show Hezbollah adopting Gaza arson tactics against Israel
Goldman Says Lebanon May Cross Distress Threshold With Downgrade
Deir Kifa’s most spacious, ancient castle in South Lebanon beseeches
government’s attention
Netanyahu Visits Ukraine ahead of September Poll
Sisi Says ‘New Egypt’ Is Prioritizing Science, Advanced Education
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on August 19-20/2019
Trump Says to Unveil Middle East Peace Plan after Israeli Elections
Zarif Seeks Holding Regional Dialogue During Kuwait Visit
Iran Warns U.S. against Seizing Tanker
Iran Mobilizes Forces on Border with Kurdistan
Bahrain to Join U.S.-Led Efforts to Protect Gulf Navigation
Macron Tells Putin Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib Must be Respected
Macron Meets Putin, Sees 'Real Opportunity' for Peace in Ukraine
Turkey Replaces 3 Pro-Kurdish Party Mayors, Detains Hundreds over PKK Links
Damascus Angered by Turkish Army Convoy Heading for Key Syria Town
Airstrikes Halt Turkish Convoy in Northwestern Syria
Palestinian President Fires Advisers as Financial Crisis Hits
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on August 19-20/2019
Hezbollah Brings Arson Terror To The Northern Front/Jerusalem Post/August
19/2019
Footage appears to show Hezbollah adopting Gaza arson tactics against Israel/Toi
Staff/Time Of Israel/August 19/2019
Goldman Says Lebanon May Cross Distress Threshold With Downgrade/Standard and
Poor's/Bloomberg/August 19/2019
Deir Kifa’s most spacious, ancient castle in South Lebanon beseeches
government’s attention/NNA –Mon 19 Aug 2019
Spain: Law on Citizenship for Sephardic Jews Ends in Failure/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/August 19/2019
After Epstein's Death, Time for Full Justice/Alan M. Dershowitz//Gatestone
Institute/August 19/2019
Pentagon’s $10 Billion Brain Is Frozen by a Contracting Scandal/James Stavridis/Bloomberg/August
19/2019
Southern Yemenis and the Jeddah Meeting/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/August
19/2019
Russia Tells Its Scientists to Steer Clear of Foreigners/Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg
View/August 19/2019
Israel Announces New Units for Settlers and Palestinians/David Makovsky/The
Washington Institute/August 19/2019
The danger of talking yourself into a recession/Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/August
19/2019
Systemic corruption threatens Tehran regime’s future/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab
News/August 19/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News published
on August 19-20/2019
Report: U.S. Sanctions to Target Christian
Ministers, Businessmen
Naharnet/August 19/2019
U.S. sanctions will soon target Christian ministers and businessmen accused by
Washington of aiding Hizbullah, a media report said. “There is a lot of talk
about U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah’s allies, especially those close to the
presidency, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and the Syrian
Social National Party,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted “friends of Washington” as
saying in remarks published Monday. The U.S. administration sees “a need to
expand the sanctions campaign to target politicians, including ministers, and
businessmen who work inside and outside Lebanon, most of whom are supporters of
the FPM, the Marada Movement and the SSNP,” the sources added. Those who will be
targeted are figures who are “close to FPM and Marada ministers as well as to
the leaderships of the two movements,” the sources went on to say, noting that
they are accused of facilitating Hizbullah’s transactions.“Any sanctions will
not be exclusively limited to fund transfer operations but will also completely
impede the movement and travel of those targeted,” the sources added.
Hariri in Family Dinner with Pompeo at End of Washington Visit
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his wife have hosted Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo and his wife for a lunch banquet at their ranch near Washington DC at the
end of the Lebanese premier’s visit to the US. Hariri posted a photo on his
Instagram account showing the two families. During his visit to Washington,
Hariri held talks with top US officials, including Pompeo, with whom he held a
joint press conference.Hariri has received assurances from the US officials on
their economic and political support to his government. Informed sources told
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that a cabinet session is expected to be held on
Tuesday or Wednesday at President Michel Aoun’s summer residence in Beiteddine
Palace in Shouf. Economic decisions taken at a meeting held at the presidential
palace in Baabda last week are expected to be endorsed at the cabinet session.
Aoun has said he will personally tend to the implementation path of the
decisions of the financial and economic meeting in cooperation with Hariri and
Speaker Nabih Berri. Hariri had announced after the Baabda meeting that a series
of decisions were taken to improve the state’s fiscal program and give a boost
to the economy.
Aoun Vows Development for Chouf and Aley, Stresses
Christian-Druze Unity
Naharnet/August 19/2019
President Michel Aoun on Monday pledged developmental projects for the Chouf and
Aley regions as he stressed the importance of Christian-Druze unity there.
“Lebanon cannot be united without the unity of Mount Lebanon, which is
characterized by its Druze and Christian wings,” Aoun said in a meeting with
Arab Tawhid Party chief Wiam Wahhab and a Druze delegation at the summer
presidential palace in Beiteddine. “I’m not saying this to belittle the rest of
the components,” he noted. And telling the delegation that he shares their
“dreams,” the president emphasized “the need to earmark developmental projects
for Mount Lebanon.”“I promise you to consolidate your presence in your regions
and villages and I know how to fulfill the promise,” Aoun went on to say.
Aoun in chat with press says didn’t resort to law
condemning LBP rumors to ‘preserve freedoms’
NNA -Mon 19 Aug 2019
In a chat with the press on Monday, President of the Republic, General Michel
Aoun, confirmed that he was endeavoring to maintain the value to the Lebanese
pound, explaining that he has not resorted to a law which condemns rumors
shaking the status of the LBP in a bid to “preserve freedoms.""Freedom in
Lebanon now includes insults and criticism," he said in regret. “We only welcome
criticism which is a source of new ideas,” he added. The President promised that
work on executive plans would begin this week and should be ready in a month
“because the general principles have become known to all of us,” he explained.
“All of this is aimed at finding solutions to all the issues that disturb
citizens, especially the electricity crisis,” Aoun added. He stressed that
there had been commitment and approval of the economic paper, noting that he has
launched this paper "yet, in order to be implemented, it requires cooperation
amongst all the concerned authorities." Regarding rumors hinting that the U.S.
has instructed him to distance Minister Gebran Bassil, he said: "I will not
distance Gebran Bassil or any other human being. I have no interest in that.
Gebran is head of a political party, and head of the largest parliamentary
bloc.”He also denied that the Lebanese state had been subjected to any sort of
U.S. pressure to achieve reconciliation over Kabreshmoun incident and to resolve
the country’s financial issues. “Neither the U.S. had interfered, nor it is in
our nature to accept pressure,” he added.
On the 2020 state budget, Aoun stressed the need to have the budget be issued by
December the 31st as the latest deadline, hoping there will be no delay. Aoun
also denied having been informed about U.S. sanctions against Christian figures
close to Hezbollah. “We have not been notified about this matter,” he said.
As for the e-government project, he explained that it was currently under study.
Concerning political reforms, and whether the current political rule will
witness a full implementation of the Taef agreement, he confirmed
relentless attempts to re-enforce the constitution. “Some are used to breaking
the constitution and depriving others of their rights. When I try to fix things,
they say the constitution is being violated. Some are used to many bad habits,
so it takes time to fix everything,” the President added.
Aoun: U.S. Hasn't Pressured Us and We'll Overcome Crisis
Naharnet/August 19/2019
President Michel Aoun on Monday stressed that Washington has not “pressured” his
political camp in connection with the recent crisis over the Qabrshmoun
incident. “The United States has not pressured us and our character does not
tolerate any pressures in the first place,” Aoun told reporters in a chat at the
summer presidential palace in Beiteddine. He added: “We will overcome the crisis
and, through the consultative committee, we will begin laying out executive
plans for the Baabda economic paper this week.” “We have a gradual program for
reform and we will gradually implement what was requested from us at the CEDRE
conference,” Aoun went on to say, noting that Lebanon cannot put some
recommendations into action due to its “financial situations.”“The Lebanese will
feel gradual improvement at the economic level,” the president reassured. “The
appointments will be discussed in due time,” he said. Separately, Aoun revealed
that some politicians have asked him to pressure Free Patriotic Movement chief
and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil – his son-in-law. “I do not pressure him,
seeing as he is the head of a party and the biggest Christian bloc, but I offer
him advices the same as I offer others,” the president added. “Some accuse me of
violating the Taef Accord. Let them tell me how I have violated it. I’m rather
implementing the Constitution,” Aoun said, noting that “some parties are used to
violating the Constitution.”As for the recent controversy over sectarian balance
in state administrations, Aoun said: “They don’t want to abolish sectarianism in
jobs and they don’t want to preserve balance in employment, that’s why I have
requested the interpretation of Article 95 of the Constitution” by Parliament.
Bassil Says to Endorse Any Initiative Put Forward by al-Rahi
Naharnet/August 19/2019
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Monday announced that he would
endorse any initiative put forward by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. “We
will positively respond to any initiative by Patriarch al-Rahi to safeguard
Mount Lebanon,” Bassil said after meeting al-Rahi in al-Diman.
“It was a sentimental discussion with the patriarch and it touched on the
importance of preserving the land, identity and constitution and the need to
protect the National Pact so that we unify the stance over the existential
issues,” Bassil added, citing Article 95 of the constitution.
Safieddine Says U.S. Action against Hizbullah Futile
Naharnet/August 19/2019
A senior Hizbullah official on Sunday stressed that all U.S. sanctions and
actions against his group are futile. “All the U.S. talk we are hearing here and
there has no value… and all their sanctions, threats and campaigns will not
change any of the facts on the ground,” the head of Hizbullah’s executive
council Sayyed Hashem Safieddine said. “Some Lebanese have not realized that
this resistance is a blessing and that it is a strength, a guarantee and a
safety net for entire Lebanon,” he added. “Some countries spend large amounts of
money to gain a position in the local, regional or international equation, and
the resistance has taken Lebanon to security, safety, strength, potency and a
special position at the level of the entire region,” Safieddine went on to say.
Addressing some Lebanese parties, the Hizbullah official added: “Why don’t you
realize the importance of this position and why are some seeking to waste it.
They are either ignorant or envious or they act at the instructions of their
foreign handlers.”“All Lebanese must deal with this resistance as a blessing and
a guarantee for their future, present and sons,” Safieddine went on to say.
Apostolic Nuncio: Youth volunteering for people with
special needs contributes to peace
NNA - Mon 19 Aug 2019
Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Mgr. Joseph Spiteri, on Monday affirmed that the
voluntary work of groups of young Lebanese and foreigners, serving people with
special needs in Chabrouh’s Center of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of
Malta, contributed to the establishment of true peace.
The Apostolic Nuncio celebrated, for the second consecutive year, a Mass in
Chabrouh center. In his word, he paid tribute to "the efforts of foreign and
Lebanese volunteers who organize, throughout the year, one-week camps for people
with special needs". He added that these camps constituted one of the 30
activities of the Association in Lebanon, recalling that last year, 36 camps
were organized for approximately 770 people with special needs by 960 volunteers
of 20 nationalities. "You came to Lebanon to spend a different holiday and share
your love with those who suffer. You have chosen to come here to help others, to
have new friends, to build human relationships, and that is what creates true
peace and joy,” he told the young volunteers.“I pray to the Lord that the
presence of young volunteers is an opportunity to help our Lebanese friends to
experience the love of God that will allow the consolidation of peace and joy,”
Bishop Spiteri added.
Hezbollah Brings Arson Terror To The Northern Front
Jerusalem Post/August 19/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77668/%d8%b5%d8%ad%d9%81-%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%8a%d8%b4%d8%b9%d9%84-%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%82-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7/
Following in the footsteps of terrorists in Gaza, terrorists from the Hezbollah
terrorist movement lit fires along the Israeli-Lebanese border on Friday which
quickly spread into Israeli territory, according to Channel 12 news. The fire,
exacerbated by strong winds, threatened an IDF post and the border town of
Margaliot. The current evaluation, as reported by Channel 12, is that this was
an intentional action by Hezbollah which may be carried out again in the future.
Video obtained by Channel 12, shows the Hezbollah terrorists arriving to an area
very close to the border fence and igniting multiple fires in the area. The fire
caused a large amount of mines in the area to explode. UN vehicles in the area
made no effort to stop the terrorists or to put out the fires. No injuries have
been announced. As the fire quickly advanced on Israeli territory, roads were
closed and firefighters prepared to evacuate Margaliot. "We received a message
that a fire was advancing on the town of Margaliot that began on the Lebanese
side of the border," said Roi Finnish, deputy shift commander of the Israel Fire
and Rescue Service Galilee-Golan station. "Our teams that arrived at the scene
conducted operations to protect the town. Additionally, police blocked roads at
the scene to prevent vehicles from passing through."It took hours to put out the
flames and no firefighting aircraft could be used due to the site's close
proximity to the border. According to Channel 12, this probably won't be a
one-time incident.
"Everyone knows that the Lebanese side conducts these provocations and this fire
is surely caused by them and not be chance," said Yoram Mahlof, CEO of the
Mevo'ot Ha'Hermon regional council. This is not some innocent shepherd. They
study us. They want to learn and we are prepared and ready. We know exactly what
they want."Hezbollah may use the arson tactic to obtain a few different goals.
The fires may serve to step up harrassment of the IDF and security forces or to
pose a direct threat to their posts along the border. The terrorist organization
may also use the fires to expose areas which could potentially be used by IDF
special forces to camouflage cover for cross-border activity. Terrorists in the
Gaza Strip have conducted thousands of arson attacks against Israel in recent
years. Terrorists in Gaza have used balloons and kites to fly incendiary and
explosive devices over the border into southern Israel since the launch of
"March of Return" protests along the border fence. The incendiary devices have
caused more than 2,000 separate fires, resulting in more than 35,000 dunams
burned.
*Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.
Footage appears to show Hezbollah adopting Gaza arson tactics against Israel
Toi Staff/Time Of Israel/August 19/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77668/%d8%b5%d8%ad%d9%81-%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%8a%d8%b4%d8%b9%d9%84-%d8%ad%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%82-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7/
A fire that raged along Israel’s border with Lebanon Friday appears to be the
work of Hezbollah terrorists who have adopted arson techniques that Palestinians
in Gaza have used repeatedly to attack Israel, according to footage aired Sunday
by Channel 12. In the footage, Hezbollah operatives can be seen setting fires
near the border. Strong winds quickly fanned the flames and caused the fire to
cross the boundary and spread toward an IDF base and the community of Margaliot.
In the footage, UN peacekeepers can be seen patrolling near the fires, but
making no attempt to stop the Hezbollah men from lighting them.
The fires caused several landmines placed along the border to explode. Local
firefighters took several hours to put out the fire, in an effort that was
hampered by the inability to use firefighting aircraft due to the proximity to
the hostile border. “Everyone knows the Lebanese side is responsible for these
provocations,” local official Yoram Mahluf told Channel 12. “They are testing
us.”The news report said officials believe that Hezbollah would continue to set
fires along the border in order to try and keep the IDF distracted and also to
clear brush that Israeli special forces could use for cover.
The tactic appears to be in imitation of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza who have
been sending thousands of arson balloons into Israel with devastating effect.
The tactic of launching balloons carrying explosive and arson devices from Gaza
into Israel emerged last year as part of a series of protests and riots along
the Strip’s border, known collectively as the March of Return. The simple and
cheap method of attack by Palestinians proved effective against the far more
powerful Israel Defense Forces. From April to June 2018, Israeli firefighters
extinguished 1,954 fires started by arson attacks in the fields, forests and
grasslands around the Gaza Strip. They fought 383 blazes over the same period in
2019. In addition, throughout 2018, approximately 34,000 dunams — 8,400 acres —
of Israeli land were burned in arson attacks, according to statistics from the
Fire and Rescue Services, Jewish National Fund and Nature and Parks Authority.
As of June, 1,400 dunams — 345 acres — of land were damaged by incendiary
devices from the Strip in 2019.
Goldman Says Lebanon May Cross Distress Threshold With
Downgrade
Standard and Poor's/Bloomberg/August 19/2019
Lebanon’s sovereign ranking will probably be cut deeper into junk by S&P Global
Ratings within days, putting its bonds into a category considered vulnerable to
nonpayment as the country struggles to claw back enough foreign currency,
according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
One of the world’s most indebted nations is on negative outlook at S&P, which is
due to publish a review on Friday and currently rates Lebanon B-, six steps
below investment grade and one notch higher than Moody’s Investors Service.
“The steady deterioration in Lebanon’s FX liquidity position indicates a likely
downgrade to CCC,” Goldman analysts including Farouk Soussa said in a note last
week. Issuers in the CCC category are deemed dependent on favorable conditions
to make good on their debt.
To keep its lenders stable and defend the dollar peg, Lebanon relies on bank
deposits, mainly from the millions of Lebanese living abroad, with the central
bank using what it describes as “financial engineering” to keep up an inflow of
hard currency. While the latest such effort in late June may have helped to
shore up foreign assets in reserves, deposit growth turned negative in May for
the first time in more than a decade, according to Goldman Sachs.
What’s more, recent political tensions “threaten to derail the economic agenda
and further depress appetite for Lebanese risk,” it said. The U.S. bank also
lowered its forecast for Lebanon’s economic growth this year to 1% from 2.2%.
Investor worry about Lebanon’s prospects has played out in the market. Its
credit risk, measured by credit-default swaps, has jumped 327 basis points since
the start of the year and surged past 1,000 points for the first time ever in
August.
The average extra yield investors demand to hold its debt over U.S. Treasuries
also surpassed 1,000 basis points last week, the most in over a decade. The
International Monetary Fund projects Lebanon’s public debt burden will rise
further to near 180% of economic output by 2023. Lebanon has never defaulted on
its obligations. When S&P cut Lebanon’s outlook to negative in March, it said
the country’s rating could be lowered within the next year “if political stasis
causes fiscal deficits to rise while banking system deposit inflows -- the
government’s key funding source -- slow further.”
In July, Lebanon passed an overdue 2019 budget touted as the most austere in the
country’s history in the hope of appeasing investors, donors and rating
companies.
But the government headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri has failed to convene
since the end of June. A minister in the cabinet claims he was the target of
assassination and is insisting, along with his allies, to refer the case to the
judicial council. His opponents reject that idea. Efforts are underway to
resolve the issue and resume work. Political hurdles are nothing new to Lebanon
but this time they could delay implementation of urgent fiscal and structural
reforms. Lebanon’s average economic expansion hasn’t exceeded 1% in the past
five years and is projected at 1.2% in 2019, according to the finance minister.
In June, central bank Governor Riad Salameh put growth at zero so far this year.
Deir Kifa’s most spacious, ancient castle in South Lebanon beseeches
government’s attention
NNA –Mon 19 Aug 2019
It is the descendant of an ever-challenging history, an ever-persistent,
unforgotten victory. It rebelled against all natural factors, and it rebelled
against occupation by Mamluks and Ottomans. Indeed, it rebelled, even against
the Israeli violations that destroyed its landmark and messed its architecture
and urbanism from 1976 until 2006. It is Deir Kifa castle, the icon of
monuments, lying between the hills of Jabal Amel in South Lebanon. While the
castle’s fortifications were crushed by the artillery and heavy air-missiles
during the said period, it still carried a long history of heritage buried under
the ground, rocks, and rubble. A heritage that entails the importance and
grandness of this monument, in which many see the necessity to keep memory
alive, even if through stones that call out the conscience and echo the fact
that he who has no past, has no present, and he who has no present, has no
future.
This is what pushed those among Deir Kifa people who are loyal to heritage to
seek, even by the simplest means, giving it the attention it needs, including –
even partial – restoration. What resulted was signing a restoration contract on
the eighth of November, sponsored by Head of the National Association for the
Preservation of the Archeology and Heritage of South Lebanon, Randa Berri,
French battalion, represented by Colonel Nicolas Doron, and Colonel De Fual, as
well as Head of the Union of Tyre Municipalities, Eng. Hassan Dbouk and Deputy
Mayor Wissam Medlej. It was inaugurated by a French gift for the castle and
brick base and tents.
Dbouk
Dbouk told the National News Agency that the Union was funding the studies
required for restoring and rehabilitating the castle through assigning a
competent engineer. This study is ready, waiting for funding, to do what it
takes to return the castle to its original state, highlight its features, and
put it on the tourist map again.
Medlej
For his part, Medlej said to NNA, “We have demanded of the Ministry of Culture
more than once, through visits by the municipal board, to take care of the
castle as a tourist, historic, and heritage landmark. Up till today, we received
no response or attention, under the pretext that money is not available.
However, we have not despaired. Instead, we took it upon ourselves, as a
municipal board, to take the restoration initiative. We rebuilt the castle’s
southern fence, which is of a 60 m height and 6 m altitude, using the same
rocks. We also restored two towers linked to it, which are of architectural and
geometric characteristics similar to the rest of the castle’s parts. We were
using the municipal fund despite the high cost. We built passages inside the
castle, and we got funding from the Union of Tyre Municipalities through the TNT
regional networking project to boost sustainable tourism in Mediterranean
countries. This project was funded by the European Union to build stone and
wooden protection barriers inside the castle to protect its visitors, as its
yards have many wells. We also built an old-wooden gate at the main entrance to
mimic the castle’s historical appearance. Head of South Board, Dr. Kabalan
Kabalan, provided its lighting project in 2015.”
Zaitoun
One of the town’s functionaries, Ahmed Zaitoun, told NNA that after the partial
and minor restoration and lighting of the castle’s fences and the entrances, a
number of civil and educational associations visited, especially students from
Nabatieh, Sidon and Beirut schools, and a number of UNIFIL officers and soldiers
from the French, Italian and Finnish battalion. They expressed their admiration
for its breadth, size and their regret for neglecting it and what it has
become.”
“In 2007, when repeated tremors struck Srifa area, the walls of the castle were
damaged, cracked and disrupted. For this reason, it was visited by a delegation
from the Higher Relief Commission, accompanied by South governor and Mayor of
Tyre, Hussein Qabalan. They gave a promise of restoration, and it has not been
implemented yet. During the recent years, we protected it from researchers,
prospectors and aggressors and prevented anything being built next to it that
might dominate and cover it,” he said.
He hoped that "the government and those concerned with the restoration of the
castle to take care of it, just like the other castles, forts and monuments, so
that it is preserved and sustained, so that it survives and that the region
prospers, and to include it on the tourist map."
One of the Bandars’ descendants (77 years), who had an active role in a certain
period of the castle’s history where they lived and managed the country,
considered that "the ownership of the castle belongs to his early ancestors."
The minute he was questioned by NNA, he answered with historical details of the
castle as if he were its glossary and encyclopedia.
"Deir Kifa castle is one of the oldest castles of Lebanon. It was Phoenician,
and the largest area in the south. Its columns and ruins were lifted by the
Crusaders, and they made it a military protection point for Jerusalem, which is
tens of kilometers away. During wars, large parts of it were destroyed, and
French Crusader commander, Miron, renovated it and named it after himself. Years
later, it fell in the hands of Mamluk Sultan Qalawun and he destroyed it in 1289
AD so that Crusader remnants don’t hide in it. After that, it was rebuilt by
Sheikh Abbas Muhammad al-Nassar al-Waili during the Ottoman rule in 1761, and he
made it a military barrack and a residence for his family, and his sons
inherited it until Sheikh Kayed Bandar,” he said.
The castle
The castle covers an area of 17 thousand square meters and consists of three
floors, containing many destroyed cellars and cells, rooms, multiple stone
houses, horse stables, prisons, playgrounds, yards and wheat stores, where there
are 365 wells to collect water, and where four springs have dried years ago.
Its fence is of a height of 6 meters to 12 meters wide by two meters. It has
seven corners on each of which is a semi-circular control tower with a diameter
of 8 meters used for guarding, hunting and defense. It rises 400 meters above
sea level. It overlooks several towns: from the east, Mount Maroun and the town
of Bourj Qalawiya, from the south, the town of Deir Kifa, from the north Srifa
and Nakafiya, and from the west, valleys to the sea.
Field trip
On a field tour, while you stand on the ruins of its ruined facilities, you feel
its greatness and historical value that defies all natural factors, aggression,
and negligence, as its harmoniously curved rooms have barely remained in the
eastern and northern section. Three similarly elevated towers stand erect,
separated by walls parallel to them in height and shape. Despite weeds and
destruction, the geometric halls, in the center of which lies the fort, is still
noticeable. Between the north and south towers is a tall wall that meets its
center at a higher elevation. Between the halls are the basements of the western
section, which are wide with curved ceilings and high walls, connected to each
other. Parts of them were covered by the backfill and their windows, prepared
for guarding and observation, overlook the surrounding roads west to the sea.
In many of its rooms, you look from a ceiling, seeking guidance to their
entrance, but you cannot. Then, you get lost around the castle because of its
vastness and its many corridors, underground rooms, walls, and decades, a well
here and there, which confirms the novel that talks about 365 wells. In addition
to prison openings that look similar to the wells and spread over the vast area
of the castle, stables, and other places. Around the castle are doorsteps and
windows, some of them straight, others from arches or vaults that still carry in
the folds of their stones an ancient grace.
That which raises concern about this important historical landmark is the lack
of interest from the government’s competent authorities. The castle was not
listed as a tourist site as it is not eligible to receive visitors in its
current situation, especially that its restoration and rehabilitation need big
amounts of money, due to its wide geographical and urban expansion, poor
geometric condition, and its cracked buildings, as well as the accumulation of
backfill and its large size.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 19-20/2019
Trump Says to Unveil Middle East Peace Plan after Israeli
Elections
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would likely wait until after
Israel’s September 17 general elections to reveal his much-anticipated Middle
East plan. The plan is being drafted by White House senior adviser and Trump’s
son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The economic aspect of the proposal was unveiled
during a workshop in Bahrain in June. It proposed $50 billion economic
development plan for the Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon that is
designed to create peace in the region. “We can turn this region from a victim
of past conflicts into a model for commerce and advancement throughout the
world,” Kushner had told the gathering. The lack of a political solution has
prompted rejection not from Palestinians. Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian
governments attended the event in Manama. It is not clear whether the Trump team
plans to abandon the “two-state solution”, which involves the creation of an
independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel. The United
Nations and most countries back the two-state solution, which has underpinned
every peace plan for decades, but Trump’s team has consistently refused to
commit to it. Any solution must settle long-standing issues such as the status
of Jerusalem, mutually agreed borders, Israel’s security concerns, Palestinian
demands for statehood and the fate of Israel’s settlements and military presence
in territory where Palestinians want to build that state.
Zarif Seeks Holding Regional Dialogue During Kuwait Visit
Kuwait- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Kuwait on Sunday and met with
Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The top Iranian diplomat also met
with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid
Al-Sabah. The two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation and the latest regional
developments. The talks were attended by a group of high-profile Kuwaiti
officials. Attending officials included Kuwait Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled
Al-Jarallah, Assistant Foreign Minister for the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister, Ambassador Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad
Al-Sabah. Foreign Minister Assistant for the Office of Deputy Foreign Minister
Ambassador Ayham Al-Omar and Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs
Counselor Abdul Razzaq Al-Khalifa were also present. Zarif, for his part,
tweeted about delivering Iran’s proposition for holding a regional dialogue and
inking a non-aggression agreement with Gulf States. He also spoke of the
importance of such a deal for the elimination of foreign interference in the
region. The Iranian minister's visit to Kuwait comes days after his visit to
Qatar.
Iran Warns U.S. against Seizing Tanker
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
Tehran said Monday it has warned its arch-foe Washington against attempting to
seize an Iranian tanker that has set sail from waters off Gibraltar after being
impounded for six weeks. Iran had been locked in a high-seas standoff with U.S.
ally Britain since Royal Marines seized the tanker off the coast of the British
overseas territory Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion it was shipping oil to Syria
in breach of EU sanctions. Little more than two weeks later, Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps impounded the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker in
strategic Gulf waters in what Britain called a tit-for-tat move. A court in
Gibraltar ordered the release of the Grace 1 on Thursday. That was in spite of a
last-minute U.S. request to detain the ship on allegations of involvement in
supporting illicit shipments to Syria by the Guards, listed as a terrorist group
by Washington. Gibraltar's government rejected the request, saying it could not
seek a court order to detain the supertanker because US sanctions against Iran
were not applicable in the European Union. The tanker, bearing its new name the
Adrian Darya and flying the Iranian flag, departed on Sunday evening for the
Greek port of Kalamata, according to the monitoring website Marine Traffic. But
the final destination of the supertanker and its 2.1 million barrels of oil
remains unclear, with authorities in Greece yet to confirm that it is expected
to dock there. As it finally sailed eastward on Monday, Iran said it had warned
the United States through the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S.
interests, against trying to seize it again."Iran has given necessary warnings
to American officials through its official channels... not to make such a
mistake because it would have grave consequences," said foreign ministry
spokesman Abbas Mousavi.
'Bullying and unilateralism'
Speaking to reporters at a news conference, he dismissed the notion that there
was a link between the seizure of the Iranian tanker off Gibraltar and the
British-flagged tanker in the Gulf. "There is no connection whatsoever between
these two vessels," said Mousavi. "There have been two or three maritime
violations made by that ship," he said, referring to the British-flagged Stena
Impero held off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. "The court is looking into it.
We hope the (investigation) is completed as soon as possible and the verdict is
issued."The Iranian spokesman said the Gibraltar court order for the release of
the tanker was a blow to U.S. "unilateralism.""The Americans have not been very
successful with their unilateral sanctions that have no legal basis. "They
should come to their senses that bullying and unilateralism cannot get anywhere
in the world today." Mousavi urged other countries not to accept sanctions the
United States has imposed on Iran "because they're not legitimate and have no
legal basis." Tensions between Iran and its arch-foe the United States have been
rising since President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from a
landmark nuclear deal in May 2018 and began imposing sanctions against the
Islamic republic as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign. Iran has responded by
suspending some of its commitments under the nuclear deal. The situation has
threatened to spiral out of control in the past few weeks with ships attacked,
drones downed and oil tankers seized.
At the height of the crisis, Trump called off air strikes against Iran at the
last minute in June after its forces shot down a U.S. drone. In its decision
ordering the release of the tanker, Gibraltar said it had received written
assurances from Iran that the ship would not be headed for countries "subject to
European Union sanctions." Iran denied it had made any promises about the ship's
destination to secure the release.
Iran Mobilizes Forces on Border with Kurdistan
Erbil - Ihsan Aziz/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Gunmen from opposition Iranian Kurdish parties are increasing their activities
on the Iranian border, prompting the army to boost its presence along the border
with Kurdistan Region, according to residents of the Sidakan village, 90
kilometers northeast of Erbil in the Soran district. Soran mayor, Kirmanj Izzat
said the army has been amassing its forces there since last fall in anticipation
of any military action.He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the military has set up more
surveillance points on the mountains, but has not entered the Region yet. “We do
not have accurate information on the size or strength of those forces,” he
announced. He indicated that the armed groups of the Iranian Kurdish opposition
parties are still active, especially near the mountainous border. Izzat
expressed serious concerns about the possibility of an escalation in light of
the ongoing operations by the gunmen, who are good at infiltrating deep into
Iranian territory, despite the heavy military deployment. He pointed out that
this will negatively affect the situation in the border areas within the
Kurdistan Region, calling on the opposition parties to consider the political
and security conditions and withdraw from the area. Izzat expressed concern over
renewed escalation, citing Iranian artillery shelling that killed an 18-year-old
girl and injured two of her brothers in the border village of Derri two months
ago. He noted that the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdish regional government are
fully capable of controlling the security in the border areas, but they can not
control the mountainous border. Mayor of Derri, Sabri Kamal said that the
residents had warned the gunmen against staying in their positions or launching
attacks against Iran, which would provoke a response from Tehran that would harm
the locals. The residents would take up arms and kick them out by force if they
have to. Derri is located at the foot of the mountainous border and sometimes
comes under Iranian bombardment. Kamal told Asharq Al-Awsat that the residents
would be forced to defend themselves if the authorities continued to neglect the
security of the village. Residents were forced out of the village after the
Iranian shelling burned down their farms and fields and regional authorities did
not provide them with any compensation. The opposition gunmen responded to the
warnings and relocated their headquarters a few kilometers away from the
village, but they are still in the area, said Kamal.
Bahrain to Join U.S.-Led Efforts to Protect Gulf Navigation
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
Bahrain said Monday it would join U.S.-led efforts to protect shipping in the
Gulf amid tensions between Washington and Tehran after a series of attacks on
tankers. Bahrain's King Hamad voiced his country's appreciation of the "U.S.
role in supporting regional security and stability" during a meeting with U.S.
Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Kenneth McKenzie, state media said. "The
king confirmed the kingdom of Bahrain's participation in the joint effort to
preserve the safety of international maritime navigation and secure
international corridors for trade and energy," the official Bahrain News Agency
reported. The U.S. has been seeking to form a coalition to guarantee freedom of
navigation in the Gulf. The BNA did not clarify whether Bahrain would join the
coalition per se, or what its contribution would be. Britain, which already has
warships on protection duty in the Gulf after a UK-flagged tanker was seized by
Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has said it will join the planned operation. But
other European countries have declined to join, for fear of harming European
efforts to rescue a 2015 treaty with Iran over its nuclear program. Bahrain,
which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said last month that it would co-host a
conference with the US on "maritime and air navigation security", set for
October. Iran has seized three tankers in strategic Gulf waters since last
month, including a British-flagged vessel. That came after British Royal Marines
helped impound a tanker carrying Iranian oil off the British overseas territory
of Gibraltar on July 4. Britain suspected it was destined for Syria in defiance
of European Union sanctions, which Iran denies. The U.S. and its Gulf allies
have also accused the Islamic republic of carrying out several mysterious
attacks on ships in the region, which Tehran denies.
Macron Tells Putin Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib Must be
Respected
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "profound worry" about the bombing of
the Syrian town of Idlib, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that it was
"urgent" that a ceasefire went into force. "I must express our profound worry
about the situation in Idlib. The population in Idlib is living under bombs,
children are being killed. It's vital that the ceasefire agreed in Sochi is put
into practice," Macron told Putin.
Macron Meets Putin, Sees 'Real Opportunity' for Peace in
Ukraine
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday there was a "real opportunity" for
peace in Ukraine following the election of Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky. He also said he hoped to attend a summit with the leaders of Ukraine,
Russia and Germany -- the so-called Normandy format -- "in the next few weeks"
to try to end fighting in eastern Ukraine. "There is a real opportunity to put
an end to the conflict that has been going on for five years," he said at the
start of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin who voiced "cautious
optimism" about Zelensky.
Turkey Replaces 3 Pro-Kurdish Party Mayors, Detains Hundreds over PKK Links
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Turkey replaced on Monday three mayors from office over alleged links to a
Kurdish party and detained more than 400 people for suspected links to the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van
provinces in eastern Turkey -- all members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
elected in March -- were suspended. They were accused of various crimes
including membership of a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist group
propaganda, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. “For the health of the
investigations, they have been temporarily removed from their posts as a
precaution,” it added, referring to Diyarbakir Mayor Selcuk Mizrakli, Mardin
Mayor Ahmet Turk and Van Mayor Bedia Ozgokce Ertan. CNN Turk showed police
sealing off the municipality headquarters in Diyarbakir with metal barriers,
with water cannon vehicles and riot police deployed outside. The Interior
Ministry said on Twitter that police detained 418 people in 29 provinces in an
investigation targeting suspects with links to the PKK. President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has repeatedly claimed that the HDP has ties to the PKK, which has
fought a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state for much of the past 35
years. The HDP denies any links to the PKK, but has tried to broker peace talks
between the insurgents and the government. Hundreds of HDP members and around 40
of its mayors are currently in detention. The former head of the party,
Selahattin Demirtas, has been in prison since November 2016 -- a case that has
been criticized by the European Court of Human Rights. The government launched a
crackdown on opposition politicians following a failed coup in July 2016.
Although the coup was not directly linked to the Kurdish issue, the crackdown
saw 95 of 102 pro-Kurdish mayors removed from their posts and replaced with
central government appointees. The PKK launched an insurgency in 1984. More than
40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
Damascus Angered by Turkish Army Convoy Heading for Key
Syria Town
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
Damascus on Monday condemned the deployment of a Turkish military convoy towards
a key town in northwestern Syria where regime forces are waging fierce battles
with jihadists and rebels. "Turkish vehicles loaded with munitions... are
heading towards Khan Sheikhun to help the terrorists... which confirms once
again the support provided by the Turkish regime to terrorist groups," a foreign
ministry source quoted by the state news agency SANA said. The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported Syrian and
Russian air strikes aimed at hindering the convoy's advance through Idlib
province. The Idlib region is supposed to be protected from a massive regime
offensive by a buffer zone deal signed between government ally Russia and rebel
backer Turkey in September. But it was never fully implemented, as jihadists
refused to withdraw from the planned demilitarized zone. On Sunday pro-regime
forces entered Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province for the first time since they
lost control of it in 2014.They are battling to seize a key highway connecting
government-held Damascus with the northern city of Aleppo, which the regime
retook from rebels in December 2016. Dozens from both sides have been killed in
the latest fighting. Jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Syria's former
Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls most of Idlib province as well as parts of the
neighboring provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia.
Airstrikes Halt Turkish Convoy in Northwestern Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Deadly airstrikes halted a Turkish military convoy carrying ammunition after it
crossed into northwestern Syria on Monday, bound for the opposition stronghold.
The strikes hit near the highway where the convoy was moving. It was not
immediately clear whether it was Syrian government or Russian warplanes that
struck near the convoy but the development marked a sharp escalation in tensions
in the northwestern province of Idlib where Syrian troops have been on the
offensive for weeks. Syria's Foreign Ministry slammed Turkey, saying the convoy
consisted of armored vehicles loaded with ammunition and was heading to Khan
Sheikhoun, a major opposition-held town in Idlib. Turkey's Defense Ministry said
that three civilians were killed and 12 others wounded in the air strike on the
convoy, which it said was en route to one of its observation posts. The ministry
said in a statement that the attack violated Ankara's agreements and cooperation
with Russia, which it claimed had been told in advance about the convoy.
Turkey's private DHA news agency said Syrian regime planes targeted the route of
a Turkish military convoy carrying reinforcement vehicles and personnel. It said
the convoy was heading toward two Turkish observation posts in the region when
it came under Syrian aircraft fire. The report said the convoy could not proceed
because the route between Maaret al Numan and Khan Sheikhoun was targeted, and
sheltered at a safe location. Turkey has 12 observation posts in and on the edge
of the Idlib. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said
airstrikes believed to be Russian struck near the highway and forced the nearly
25-vehicle Turkish convoy to stop. It said one fighter from a Turkey-backed
faction accompanying the convoy was killed and others were injured. The Syrian
Foreign Ministry called the convoy's incursion a "flagrant Turkish
intervention," saying it had reached Saraqeb, a town north of Khan Sheikoun
early on Monday. The ministry said "this hostile behavior of the Turkish regime"
wouldn't affect Syrian troops' push into Khan Sheikhoun.
Palestinian President Fires Advisers as Financial Crisis
Hits
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has fired all of his advisers, his office
said Monday, amid a financial crisis in the occupied West Bank that has prompted
deep salary cuts. Abbas's office did not provide further details on the number
of advisers or the costs involved, pointing only to a brief statement issued
through official Palestinian news agency WAFA. The move comes amid a spending
crunch following Israel's decision in February to withhold around $10 million a
month in tax transfers. Israel collects some $190 million a month in customs
duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through its
ports. It then transfers the money to the Palestinian government. The amount it
deducted -- $138 million for the year -- corresponds to what Israel says the
Palestinian Authority paid prisoners in Israeli jails, or their families, in
2018.Prisoners who have carried out attacks on Israelis are among those
receiving the payments, and Israel says that encourages further violence.
Palestinians view prisoners as fighting against Israel's occupation and say the
funds support families that have lost their main breadwinners. Abbas has accused
Israel of blackmail and refused to take any of the tax transfers, which account
for some 65 percent of PA revenues. The PA has cut salaries for most its tens of
thousands of employees by half to keep the government afloat. On top of the tax
dispute, the United States has also cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid
to Palestinians via various programs. Jihad Harb, a Palestinian political
analyst, said it appeared Abbas had decided to sack his advisers after receiving
a report in June on payments to ministers and officials. "It is clear that
president Abbas received the report from the committee that examined the
salaries and benefits of employees," Harb told AFP. He "wants to reduce his
office's spending by taking austerity measures to confront the current budget
crisis."
Netanyahu Visits Ukraine ahead of September Poll
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 19/2019
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked Sunday on an official visit
to Ukraine -- from which many Israelis hail -- a month ahead of Israel's
elections. Netanyahu said he was travelling at the invitation of Ukraine's
recently elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, in what Israeli media reported
was the first visit to the country by an Israeli premier for 20 years. In a
video released on YouTube, Netanyahu said the two men would discuss the
"establishment of a free trade area, the pensions agreement and a host of other
issues that will further strengthen the excellent relationship between the two
countries". More than a million people from former Soviet republics came to
Israel after the Iron Curtain fell. Israeli society assimilated the equivalent
of a fifth of its population. Netanyahu also plans to visit the Babi Yar
memorial, the site of a major Holocaust massacre in April 1941 that saw more
than 33,000 Ukrainian Jews shot dead by Nazi troops. Analysts say Netanyahu is
seeking to bolster the standing of his Likud party among Israelis of Ukrainian
origin ahead of legislative polls due on September 17. Such voters have
historically been inclined to vote for the nationalist and pro-Russian Yisrael
Beitenu party, led by Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu and his right-wing and
religious allies won the most seats in an April election but failed to forge a
viable coalition.
Sisi Says ‘New Egypt’ Is Prioritizing Science, Advanced Education
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 19 August, 2019
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been vocal about advancing the
country’s education system, confirming that the state has placed great
confidence in scientists who will help execute its development vision. As part
of government support for the scientific community, Egypt allocated in 2019 a
budget of EGP 21 billion ($1.26 billion) for research and innovation. “Allow me
in my name and in the name of the great Egyptian nation to salute Egyptian
scientists who deserve all the appreciation for their relentless work,” Sisi
said in a speech marking Science Day. He said that the "new Egypt" devotes
special importance to science, adding that developing the country's educational
system is a top priority. “History confirms that despite all the misfortunes
Egypt and the Egyptian civilization remained high and inspiring for thousands of
years,” Sisi added. Declaring 2019 in Egypt the “Year of Education” was
intended to demonstrate the respect given to science and scientists, according
to Sisi. Speaking on more measures taken to develop the African state’s
education system, he said: “The government has begun drafting an ambitious,
integrated and stimulating legislative structure for scientific research and
innovation, as well as the establishing of new regional, international, private
universities to provide educational opportunities our children
deserve.”Demanding that the economy shift to science and knowledge, Sisi touted
the great efforts spent by the country’s youth and sciences as transformative.
“The race of civilizations is a feature of the modern world, which depends on
culture and technology produced by the people and associated economic growth,”
he added, stressing that “access to foreign markets can only be made through
science, technology and innovation.” Sisi concluded his speech with a statement
confirming that Egypt is moving forward with development and that prosperity
will be fueled by local achievements.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on August 19-20/2019
Spain: Law on Citizenship for Sephardic Jews Ends in
Failure
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/August 19/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14737/spain-jews-citizenship
The legislation's main barriers to Spanish citizenship have been obligatory
exams on Spanish language and socio-cultural history, the need to travel to
Spain and exorbitant fees and costs — all without any guarantee of success.
"We want to express our disappointment because this law, which was supposed to
restore justice, has become increasingly complicated. If we observe the
procedures, the prerequisites, the number of documents to be submitted, the
certified translations, the fees, the language and culture exams and the need to
travel to Spain, we cannot but wonder about the reason for all of these
hurdles." — Jon Iñarritu García, a congressman representing the Basque Country.
Although official data on the number of Sephardic Jews who will have obtained
Spanish citizenship under the 2015 law will not be available until all
applications are processed... initial indications show that the law has failed
to "right a wrong."
Spain today has one of the smallest Jewish communities in the EU. Fewer than
50,000 Jews currently live in Spain -- a fraction of the number who lived in the
country before 1492, when they were forced to convert to Catholicism or leave
the country. Pictured: The "El Transito" Synagogue in Toledo, Spain, which was
dedicated in 1357. When the Jews were expelled in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella gave the building to the Church. (Image source: Selbymay/Wikimedia
Commons)
A piece of much-heralded legislation to grant Spanish citizenship to up to 3.5
million descendants of Jews expelled from the country in 1492 is about to end in
failure: fewer than 10,000 Jews have been awarded Spanish passports ahead of an
October 1, 2019 deadline.
Spanish leaders promised that the law — which entered into force on October 1,
2015 for a period of three years and was extended for one additional year —
would "right a historic wrong" and demonstrate that more than 500 years after
the Inquisition began, Jews are once again welcome in Spain.
The legislation, however, introduced so many cumbersome bureaucratic hurdles to
obtain Spanish citizenship that most prospective hopefuls appear to have been
deterred from even initiating the application process.
Also known as the "Right of Return" for Sephardic Jews (Sepharad means "Spain"
in Hebrew), the law purported to grant Spanish citizenship to anyone able to
meet two seemingly straightforward requirements: prove Sephardic heritage and
demonstrate a "special connection" to Spain.
In practice, however, the process has been far more complicated. The
legislation's main barriers to Spanish citizenship have been obligatory exams on
Spanish language and socio-cultural history, the need to travel to Spain and
exorbitant fees and costs.
Although prospective applicants do not need to be practicing Jews, they must
prove their Sephardic background through a combination of factors, including
ancestry, surnames and spoken language (either Ladino, a Jewish language that
evolved from medieval Spanish, or Haketia, a mixture of Hebrew, Spanish and
Judeo-Moroccan Arabic).
According to the law, even if applicants speak Ladino or Haketia — essentially
dying languages that are spoken mostly by the elderly in some parts of Latin
America, Morocco and Turkey — they are still required to pass a Spanish-language
proficiency exam.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, the director of the
Sephardic Center in Istanbul, Karen Gerson Şarhon, noted the paradox that even
though Sephardic Jews have preserved Ladino or Haketia for hundreds of years,
proficiency in those languages in and of itself does not qualify them for
Spanish citizenship. "A Sephardic Jew who speaks Ladino perfectly understands
spoken Spanish," she said, "but fails the exam because the differences in the
written and the oral are very great."
Gerson Şarhon added that two-thirds of the approximately 15,000 Sephardic Jews
living in Istanbul have chosen to become Portuguese citizens because that
country, unlike Spain, does not require language exams for descendants of
Sephardic Jews to be naturalized there.
Overall, fewer than 400 Jews obtained Spanish citizenship during the first two
years of the law's existence. Facing a public relations debacle, the government
subsequently approved a decree exempting applicants over the age of 70 from the
Spanish language requirements.
In addition to the language exams, the law requires applicants to travel to
Spain to have their documentation verified by a government-approved Notary
Public (Notario) before the completed application is submitted to Spain's
Ministry of Justice.
Several applicants told Gatestone Institute of the great expenditures of time
and money involved in completing the procedure — all without any guarantee of
success. One applicant from the United States recounted:
"I started the process several months ago. I am fortunate to be able to afford
it, and it is sad that others may be deterred because of the cost. To me, the
biggest cost items are:
The taking of exams at Cervantes Institute — there are limited locations and the
two exams (language and culture) are offered on different dates, necessitating
two trips to a Cervantes Institute location.
The trip to Spain to meet with a Notary. If all the documents are notarized and
apostilled in the United States, what is the purpose of such a trip?
"It then can take a year with no guarantees. If they want to require a trip
(which seems unnecessary), why not make it for the final signing? I can't
imagine how disappointing it would be to spend all this time and money
($5,000-$6,000) and then still not get Spanish citizenship.
"One thing I am disappointed about is how attorneys are taking advantage of
people interested in doing it. People told me they have paid $3,000 and $5,000.
There's one attorney who is being recommended by several organizations in the
U.S. and I believe he charges $1,400-$1,800. He supposedly was involved with
helping get the law passed. If he really cared, he wouldn't charge so much. All
the hard work is the gathering of the documents that the applicant has already
done. I met somebody yesterday who was being charged only 400 euros ($450) —
that seems a lot more realistic. Perhaps the Federation of Jewish Communities of
Spain (FCJE) or some other group in Spain that really cares about people doing
this can start offering services to help people."
She also described what is required to apply for Spanish citizenship:
"Nothing much, just:
Proof of Sephardic heritage, including a letter from the FCJE (this was actually
the easiest part!);
Copy of my father's notarized birth certificate from Tetouan, Morocco;
Certificate showing my Diploma for Spanish proficiency test (I had to fly to
Chicago to take this because it is administered by the Cervantes Institute in
only a handful of places in the United States on behalf of Spain's Ministry of
Education);
Certificate showing a passing score on the exam of constitutional and
sociocultural knowledge of Spain, also administered by the Cervantes Institute
(requiring a separate trip to Chicago);
Birth certificate (notarized, apostilled* and translated**);
FBI background check (notarized, apostilled and translated);
State of MN background check (notarized, apostilled and translated);
"Proof of special connection to Spain. This included:
Copies of my father's Spanish ID cards;
Letter from University of Madrid confirming that my father attended, taught and
obtained his PhD there;
Letter from BBVA Compass, a Spanish bank, showing that I have a Spanish bank
account (notarized, apostilled and translated);
Letter showing donations to an organization that fosters programs that
perpetuate Sephardic history, ideals, cultural and religious traditions
(notarized, apostilled and translated);
College transcript showing I studied Spanish (notarized, apostilled and
translated).
*Apostille is an international certification signed by Secretary of State.
**All translations had to be done by a sworn translator recognized by the
Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"And then there was the hiring of an attorney and a trip to Spain to meet with
the government's Notary (which does not guarantee that I will get Spanish
citizenship).
Although official data on the number of Sephardic Jews who will have obtained
Spanish citizenship under the 2015 law will not be available until all
applications are processed — which may be several years after the deadline for
applications expires on October 1, 2019 — initial indications show that the law
has failed to "right a wrong."
As of the end of 2018, only 3,843 Sephardic Jews had obtained Spanish
citizenship under the law, according to data published by El País. Roughly 70%
(2,590) of those were from Latin America (Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico).
Another 5,682 applications were pending approval — at a success rate estimated
by Gatestone to be around 50%.
El País noted that although 8,365 applicants received Spanish citizenship since
2015, most of them did so through subsequent decrees issued in October 2015
(4,302) and August 2016 (220) (here and here) that eliminated some bureaucratic
hurdles for Jews who submitted their applications before the current law entered
into force.
In other words, no more than 5,000 Sephardic Jews will have received Spanish
citizenship under the 2015 law — one percent of the 500,000 that the Spanish
government said would benefit from the law, and 0.15% of the estimated 3.5
million Sephardic Jews in the world today.
Addressing the Spanish Parliament in June 2015, then Spanish Justice Minister
Rafael Catalá proclaimed:
"Today we have approved a law that reopens the door for all of the descendants
of those who were unjustly expelled. This law says much about who we were in the
past, who we are today and what we want to be in the future: A Spain that is
open, diverse and tolerant."
In practice, however, that has not been the case. Jon Iñarritu García, a
congressman representing the Basque Country, challenged the government's
self-congratulatory rhetoric:
"We want to express our disappointment because this law, which was supposed to
restore justice, has become increasingly complicated. If we observe the
procedures, the prerequisites, the number of documents to be submitted, the
certified translations, the fees, the language and culture exams and the need to
travel to Spain, we cannot but wonder about the reason for all of these hurdles.
"If this law was meant to make up for the injustice of the expulsions and the
exploitation that occurred, the most logical thing would be to avoid such an
onerous procedure for the applicants. If you would calculate the cost for each
of the applicants throughout the procedure, it would oscillate between €4,000
($4,500) and €6,000 ($6,700) for each individual.
"Why is it not possible for applicants to perform the required procedures at
Spanish consulates abroad? And why do the documents need to be notarized? Why is
the law limited to just three years, extendable to four? Why is the law not
indefinite if it is to correct an injustice? Do not put deadlines!
"Why the exams to test knowledge of the state and language? Why does the law
fail to recognize a greater role for the Federation of Jewish Communities of
Spain, which represents the Jewish communities with the relevant authorities in
the government?
"All these facts lead us to conclude that the government has the clear intention
that the fewer the number of applicants, the better. And the economic filter
ensures that only people with high purchasing power can apply.
"Similarly, given the complication of both traveling and taking the exams, only
young people can do this. As the Jewish proverb says: 'For an old man every hill
is a mountain.'
"You know that elderly people can hardly overcome such complications and
obstacles. Last year, after I told a member of the Sephardic Jewish community in
the Northern Basque Country about the proposed law, he said he did not believe
it would come about, but even if it did, applicants could hardly have access to
Spanish nationality. This person told me that it was easier to win the Nobel
Prize than to obtain Spanish nationality.
"Considering all of these factors, we believe that this law does not right a
wrong. This law is more of a symbol, a first step, but not a law that will serve
to satisfy the majority of Sephardim who would like obtain Spanish nationality."
Jordi Jané i Guasch, a congressman representing Catalonia, also expressed
frustration over the law:
"The law has very serious deficiencies because it is an obstacle course. We are
making the procedures very difficult for applicants to provide accreditation,
plus the costs that this entails, and then they may not even obtain citizenship.
Let's be honest. We have not done everything well... there are too many tests,
too many requisites, too many exams."
Spain today has one of the smallest Jewish communities in the European Union.
Fewer than 50,000 Jews currently live in Spain, according to the FCJE. That is a
fraction of the number of Jews who lived in the country before 1492, when they
were forced to convert to Catholicism or leave the country.
The Edict of Expulsion was issued on March 31, 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs of
Spain (Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon). Also known as the
Alhambra Decree, the edict ordered Jews to leave the Kingdoms of Castile and
Aragon by July 31 of that same year.
The number of Jews affected by the edict is in dispute due to the lack of
accurate data. The Jesuit historian Juan de Mariana (1536-1624), in his magnum
opus Historiae de rebus Hispaniae (a history of Spain from its earliest times),
put the number of exiles at 170,000 families or 800,000 Jews. Modern scholars
believe the actual figure was more likely to have been between 200,000 and
300,000.
According to J.H. Elliott's classic history, "Imperial Spain: 1469-1716," around
200,000 Jews are believed to have lived in Spain (150,000 in Castile and 50,000
in Aragon) at the time of the edict, and between 120,000 and 150,000 Jews fled
the country.
Jane S. Gerber, in her book, "The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic
Experience," estimated that 175,000 Jews left the country due to the edict and
another 100,000 converted to Catholicism.
Benzion Netanyahu, in his classic, "The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth
Century Spain," wrote that "the number of Jews during the Expulsion amounted to
approximately 225,000" and that between 200,000 and 230,000 Jews converted to
Catholicism between 1391 and 1392, when anti-Jewish rioting began in Seville —
rioting that sowed the seeds of the Inquisition.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
After Epstein's Death, Time for Full Justice
Alan M. Dershowitz//Gatestone Institute/August 19/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14743/jeffrey-epstein-alan-dershowitz-justice
Let me be clear: I never met Virginia Giuffre, who is now 36 years old. There is
documented evidence that until she met her lawyers in 2014, Giuffre never
accused me.... In one email, a well-known journalist urged her to include my
name because of my fame, writing that although there is "no proof " that
Dershowitz had sex with you, he is a "good name for your pitch." Giuffre then
included me, but as someone who she met and did not have sex with.
And later, after meeting her lawyers who are seeking millions of dollars of
compensation, she suddenly "remembered" having had sex with me in seven
different locations, despite incontrovertible documentary evidence that I could
not have been at those locations during the relevant time periods. The bottom
line: There is not a scintilla of evidence corroborating Giuffre's accusations
against me.
Here is the truth: Secret Service and other records prove that the Gores and
[Bill] Clinton were never on Epstein's island. She vividly remembered spending
her "sweet 16" birthday celebration with Epstein, but her employment records
prove – and she now concedes – that she didn't meet Epstein until a year after
she turned 16. This means she was above the age of consent at the time she
claimed to have had sex with Epstein's friends. It is not just me, the Gores and
Bill Clinton that Giuffre falsely accused.
The time has come to investigate Giuffre's claims. Months ago, I published and
op-ed asking the FBI to investigate me, as well as my accuser and her lawyers...
Lying under oath is a crime. I want both of our accounts fully investigated and
the person not telling the truth to be prosecuted. I believe that false
accusations of sexual misconduct, deliberately made to obtain money, is a
serious crime.
For nearly five years, I and my family have been victims of a premeditated,
financially motivated effort to destroy me personally and professionally.
I believe if the authorities investigated the matter, they would conclude I was
a victim of a serious crime. The suicide of Jeffrey Epstein last weekend has
again raised the scandal involving him to national headlines.
One of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has accused me of having
sex with her when she was below the age of consent.
It is a false accusation, demonstrably so as more documented evidence has
emerged that indicates the claims against me were suggested by others who stood
to benefit financially by accusing me.
Let me be clear: I never met Virginia Giuffre, who is now 36 years old.
There is documented evidence that until she met her lawyers in 2014, Giuffre
never accused me.
Indeed, her own writings contained in recently unsealed emails and a book
manuscript she authored did not include me in the list of men with whom she
claims to have had sex.
In one email, a well-known journalist urged her to include my name because of my
fame, writing that although there is "no proof " that Dershowitz had sex with
you, he is a "good name for your pitch." Giuffre then included me, but as
someone who she met and did not have sex with.
And later, after meeting her lawyers who are seeking millions of dollars of
compensation, she suddenly "remembered" having had sex with me in seven
different locations, despite incontrovertible documentary evidence that I could
not have been at those locations during the relevant time periods.
The bottom line: There is not a scintilla of evidence corroborating Giuffre's
accusations against me.
She also has made similar false accusations against other prominent people
For example, she was paid $160,000 by a British tabloid for a story they
published.
Giuffre's false account claimed that she was present at Epstein's notorious
private Caribbean Island with Al and Tipper Gore and also Bill Clinton. Here is
how she described in vivid detail these meetings that evidence conclusively
proves never took place:
"Virginia disclosed that Mr. Clinton's Vice-President Al Gore and his wife
Tipper, were also guests of Epstein on his island.
"I had no clue that anything was up, Virginia says. The Gores seemed like such a
beautiful couple when I met them. All I knew was that Mr. Gore was a friend of
Jeffrey's and Ghislaine's. Jeffrey didn't ask me to give him a massage.
"There might have been a couple of other girls on that trip but I could never
have imagined this guy would do anything wrong. I was planning to vote for him
when I turned 18. I thought he was awesome."
She then "described" a dinner with Bill Clinton:
"I'd have been about 17 at the time, she says. I flew to the Caribbean with
Jeffrey and then Ghislaine Maxwell went to pick up Bill [Clinton] in a huge
black helicopter that Jeffrey had bought for her.
"She's always wanted to fly and Jeffrey paid for her to take lessons and I
remember she was very excited because she got her license around the first year
we met.
"I used to get frightened flying with her, but Bill had the Secret Service with
him and I remember him talking about what a good job she did.
"We all dined together that night. Jeffrey was at the head of the table. Bill
was at his left, and I sat across from him. Emmy Tayler, Ghislaine's blonde
British assistant, sat at my right. Ghislaine was at Bill's left and at the left
of Ghislaine there were two olive-skinned brunettes who'd flown in with us from
New York.
"I'd never met them before. I'd say they were no older than 17, very innocent
looking."
Here is the truth: Secret Service and other records prove that the Gores and
Clinton were never on Epstein's island.
Giuffre invented both these accounts, just as she invented her accounts of
meeting me.
Moreover, Giuffre's own employment records and a manuscript of a book she wrote
prove that she did not tell the truth about being below the age of consent when
she claims to have had sex with prominent people.
She vividly remembered spending her "sweet 16" birthday celebration with
Epstein, but her employment records prove – and she now concedes – that she
didn't meet Epstein until a year after she turned 16.
This means she was above the age of consent at the time she claimed to have had
sex with Epstein's friends.
It is not just me, the Gores and Bill Clinton that Giuffre falsely accused.
She has accused a list of world leaders, prominent politicians and leading
academics, of having sex with her.
Epstein's death should not let this matter be put to rest.
The time has come to investigate Giuffre's claims. Months ago, I published and
op-ed asking the FBI to investigate me, as well as my accuser and her lawyers.
I met with prosecutors and investigators from the U.S. attorney's and district
attorney's offices, seeking a full investigation. I did so because I have
nothing to hide and because I'm a victim of Giuffre's false claims.
Lying under oath is a crime. I want both of our accounts fully investigated and
the person not telling the truth to be prosecuted.
When I told a reporter from the Columbia Journalism Review that I was a victim,
she replied: "You can't be a victim because you're a rich man who has a nice
house and access to the media."
She rejected my claim that I had suffered from being falsely accused.
"Are you comparing yourself to a rape victim?" she demanded.
"No. I'm not suggesting any comparison," I replied. But I told her how I and my
family had suffered for nearly five years from the false accusations.
She was utterly unsympathetic, because of who I am – a rich, elite lawyer with
access to the media – regardless of how much I have suffered from the false
accusation.
I believe that false accusations of sexual misconduct, deliberately made to
obtain money, is a serious crime.
Victims of such crimes deserve justice.
Federal authorities should fully investigate Virginia Giuffre's accusations.
The death of Jeffrey Epstein does not diminish the suffering of his real
victims. Nor does it diminish the suffering of those who have been falsely
accused by Epstein's victims.
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard
Law School and author of The Case Against the Democrats Impeaching Trump,
Skyhorse Publishing, 2019. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone
Institute.
This article was originally published by Newsmax.com and is reprinted here with
the kind permission of the author.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Pentagon’s $10 Billion Brain Is Frozen by a Contracting Scandal
James Stavridis/Bloomberg/August 19/2019
In the latest twist in the fraught competition for the Department of Defense’s
$10 billion cloud-computing project, the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office
announced a new investigation into whether there have been improprieties or
corruption in the contracting process thus far. This probe, described to me as a
very significant undertaking by Pentagon insiders, will complement a review
already being conducted by new Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
The cloud project is formally known as the Joint Enterprise Defense
Infrastructure or, in a nod to “Star Wars” geeks, JEDI. It would provide a
single managerial system and a single repository for storage of the department’s
incomprehensibly vast data streams. As the controversy hit, the contract was
reportedly about to be awarded, with the final competitors being Amazon Web
Services Inc (the heavy, heavy favorite) and Microsoft Corp.
The twin investigations were spurred by pressure from three sources: disgruntled
competitors who felt they were out of the running; Congressional actors
representing districts and states from where those competitors have a presence;
and the Oval Office itself. President Donald Trump said in mid-July that he
intended to review the JEDI contracting after receiving “tremendous complaints”
about the process from “some of the great companies in the world,” including
IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle – each of which bid on the JEDI contract.
None of this, other than direct interference by the commander in chief, is
particularly out of the ordinary for big defense acquisitions, given the
byzantine procurement process in the Pentagon. As a newly selected one-star rear
admiral in 2000, I was assigned to manage a complex agency-wide
telecommunications contract that included creating a new constellation of
satellites. By the time it was finally awarded, I had long transferred out of
the Pentagon. And in 2013, as I was a grizzled four-star Admiral about to finish
up my career, I was still wondering why the satellite constellation wasn’t yet
fully operational. The short answer is that at the nexus of big money, political
influence and uncertain technology, delays are a certainty.
All of this begs the questions of why the US military is pursuing this system,
and how it can be brought on line rapidly – by whomever eventually wins the
contract.
JEDI will be an absolutely vital part of America’s future warfighting
capability, especially in the increasingly complex new 5G environment. At heart,
the vast cloud would allow a much more efficient information-technology system,
replacing the hodgepodge of thousands of hand-tooled, inefficient networks that
exist today. This is especially critical for the military, where so many
personnel transfer every two to three years, often taking with them a hands-on
knowledge of an individual network or complex of software. For a vast
organization like the Department of Defense -- the largest “company” in the
world – JEDI’s efficiency at scale will be crucial to optimizing expensive
resources and operating efficiently.
It’s not just about efficiency, though: JEDI should vastly improve resiliency
and security. Instead of individual networks and organizations backing up their
information locally, everything is stored in a much more defendable cloud
structure - just as your personal data and photographs likely exist in the
Microsoft or Apple Inc clouds today. The data can be seamlessly transferred,
even in the intense crucible of combat. Cybersecurity experts tell us that there
is great strength in reducing the number of individual portals that can be
attacked and overcome; streamlining and unifying the defenses of the entire
department make sense. This reduction of “threat surfaces” is crucial.
Finally, from an operator’s perspective, there is great allure in one-stop
shopping to stream data (a sort of military Netflix,), to record and store it,
to create simple systems to “patch” software, and to build an infrastructure
that permits constant monitoring of the entire department’s networks. Lieutenant
General Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon’s Artificial Intelligence Center,
commented recently on the operational capabilities necessary for the emerging
era of great power competition, with China in particular.
“Imagine the speed of operations in a fight in the Pacific, where you just do
not have time to figure out, ‘How do I get my data, clean my data, move it from
point A to point B.’” Shanahan said. “If I’m a warfighter, I want as much data
as you could possibly give me. Let my algorithms sort through it at machine
speed. It’s really hard for me to do that without an enterprise cloud solution.”
His comments were echoed by the department’s chief information officer, Dana
Deasy, in a rare on-the-record co-briefing to the press they held last week.
In order to move quickly to find efficiencies, create new resiliency, and
provide a single point of contact for all IT operations, the Department of
Defense needs to thoroughly but quickly complete these investigations. If there
are real instances of malfeasance, they should be uncovered and the perpetrators
punished forthwith. Frankly, Secretary Esper has an unattractive set of options,
including starting the competition over; pressing forward to award despite the
external pressure; or searching for some middle ground that may satisfy nobody.
Whether he can power through all the sand in the gears here will be the first
test of his leadership abilities, and will be among the most important he will
face.
In the likely scenario that all this smoke reveals not much fire but rather
disgruntled competitors and political angst (and a strong component of
anti-Amazon influence from the White House, where Amazon founder and Washington
Post owner Jeff Bezos is despised), Esper should press through to a contract
award as soon as is legally appropriate. Warfighting in the 21st century will be
“brain on brain” combat, and a large, singular cloud structure is the gray
matter the US military needs.
Southern Yemenis and the Jeddah Meeting
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/August 19/2019
In a frightening moment last week, we found ourselves faced with another serious
crisis in the region — perhaps the start of a more violent civil war in southern
Yemen that may last a decade. Now, at this wonderful moment, we see that the
crisis has been avoided by prudence on all sides.
The crisis is over at least for now. Everyone is going to Jeddah to explore
durable solutions and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) pulled back from
taking over Yemeni government institutions and issued statements confirming that
it accepts Yemeni legitimacy as enacted by the UN.
The truth is that the STC has reassured the Saudis, relieved the UAE of great
embarrassment and, most importantly, saved itself, its people — the citizens of
southern Yemen and the whole region — from the disastrous consequences that
could have resulted from that move, regardless of its justifications.
But the debate, of course, will not stop. I have read two articles, by Dr.
Mohamed Al-Rumaihi (in Asharq Al-Awsat) and Dr. Sa’ad Al-Ajmi (in the
Independent Arabia), on the current dispute. In short (which may not be enough
to convey their opinion), they believe that the independence of southern Yemen
is the best solution. Saudi intellectuals also believe that Saudi Arabia’s
interest is in two or three Yemens and not in one united Yemen with a larger
population, especially following the 20-year experience of dealing with a
unified Yemen under the regime of late president Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was a
difficult and harmful stage for Saudi Arabia.
Political tampering with state entities is dangerous. I tell my friends, the
Kuwaiti intellectuals, that delegitimizing and dismantling a UN-recognized state
threatens all the countries of the region, Kuwait included. Accepting illegal
separation is exactly the same as accepting illegal annexation.
I am not at all against the rights of the southerners who want a separate state,
nor am I against the establishment of a southern republic. But they must achieve
separation by legitimate means, either by reaching an understanding with the
Yemeni state when its institutions return to work or now through the UN. Then we
will all accept it as a state, but not through the seizure of power. As long as
many say that southern Yemen is already a legitimate state, which has been true
in the recent past, they can ratify the divorce at the UN court. Then, there
will be no state opposing them and, if it existed, its stance would be of no
value and it would not be able to deny southerners this right.
We can spend the coming days talking about the past, the previous state and its
historical roots — talk that has no value. None of you believe that the
southerners are in agreement and in single-hearted unity, nor do you believe
that those who are in agreement are united on the state’s name, leadership or
system. Political leaders are competing to win popularity and declare their
rule, and there is a diversity of tribal and zonal components in the south, as
well as political leaders, Sayyids, Ashraf, sultans and businessmen, all of whom
aspire to rule.
What happened was a lapse, and God protected Yemen from its evil. We hope that
the parties will meet in Jeddah, agree on the nature of relations within the
state, and either leave the talk of separation for the future or take control of
it in New York.
Russia Tells Its Scientists to Steer Clear of Foreigners
Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/August 19/2019
The Russian government wants the country’s academics to win back the prestige
they used to enjoy in Soviet times – but also to submit to restrictions similar
to those in place in the Soviet Union. Neither is likely.
Earlier this week, Alexander Fradkov, a St. Petersburg cyberneticist, revealed
that the Russian Science Ministry had sent around to research centers a set of
draconian instructions, adopted back in February. The rules, approved by the
minister, Mikhail Kotyukov, regulate contacts between Russian and foreign
academics. They require the Russians to inform the ministry in advance about
meeting plans and, after the fact, about the content of the conversations. A
scientist’s private meetings with foreign colleagues outside of working hours
require permission from his or her research center’s management. An especially
absurd rule appears to require Russian research organizations to take away
visiting foreign colleagues’ electronic devices, including watches.
These rules are reminiscent of Communist-era restrictions that were strictly
observed, especially by officials and academics who could be accused of working
for foreign intelligence services. Their contacts with foreigners had to be
meticulously reported to the authorities.
In an open letter to Kotyukov, Fradkov wrote:
Such absurd, unenforceable orders will not improve our nation’s security but
will only lead to its growing isolation from developed nations. It will
discredit the authorities, complicating the task, set by the president, of
achieving academic leadership.
Indeed, President Vladimir Putin is bent on restoring Russia’s academic glory,
lost after at least 20,000 scientists and countless engineers emigrated during
the 1990s. One of his “national projects” meant to spur Russia’s development
provides the cash for a leap in the quantity and quality of research; the budget
for the six years from 2018 is an impressive 636 billion rubles ($9.6 billion).
The program sets specific key performance indicators, such as Russia’s share in
the global research output as measured by the number of papers published in
peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences, or the number of “world
class” research institutions.
Putin has set goals of this kind since 2012, when he returned to the presidency
after a four-year hiatus. So far, though, the nation has been missing the
targets.
Another Putin goal from 2012 was getting at least five Russian universities onto
reputable top-100 lists. That hasn’t worked so far.
Much of the actual improvement in Russian research activity has been due to
Russian organizations’ cooperation with funders from the US, Germany and other
Western nations, a paper published last year by a group of Russian Academy of
Sciences researchers showed. Kotyukov’s rules strike at the heart of that
collaboration.
Commenting on their disclosure on Wednesday, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry
Peskov said this:
One should, of course, show a certain vigilance because foreign intelligence
services aren’t asleep on the job, and no one has ever given up scientific and
industrial espionage: It’s taking place 24/7 and it’s aimed at our scientists,
especially young scientists.
Not following Kremlin advice on vigilance can have nasty consequences. From time
to time, Russian academics are imprisoned for allegedly handing over sensitive
material to foreign funders and colleagues. Fradkov’s letter mentions one such
case, that of physicist Viktor Kudryavtsev, charged with treason last year for
work he did for a Belgian research institute.
Kotyukov’s rules are another reminder to Russian scientists of the trade-off
they must make if they stay in Russia and take part in Putin’s nostalgic
modernization project. The state is willing to invest in research – but in
return, recipients must focus on the state’s interests first and foremost.
That should show Putin and his ministers that the trade-off isn’t universally
acceptable. Obtaining a higher standing in global academia requires
institutional openness to the world. In its absence, researchers will keep
taking advantage of Russia’s still relatively open borders.
Israel Announces New Units for Settlers and Palestinians
David Makovsky/The Washington Institute/August 19/2019
Whether or not Palestinian units are actually built in Area C, the announcement
will be a net loss if Israeli construction outside the security barrier becomes
the new norm post-election.
On August 5-6, an Israeli interministerial committee approved two batches of
settlement units for the West Bank, some for Israeli settlers and some for
Palestinians. Both announcements seem motivated by sundry factors, and their
consequences could prove wide ranging. The new Israeli units may be tied to the
upcoming do-over elections, but their placement would represent a troubling
shift if repeated after the vote. As for the Palestinians, the decision marks
the first time in three years they have been granted any units in Area C, the
portion of the West Bank where Israel assumed full control after the Oslo
Accords. The fact that both announcements were made concurrently is not
coincidental.
TROUBLING NEW TREND?
A large majority of Israeli settlers live in units located inside the West Bank
security barrier and close to Israeli urban areas. This zone constitutes only 8%
of the entire West Bank, either along or adjacent to the 1967 ceasefire lines,
and most previous rounds of settlement approvals were located there. This time,
however, two-thirds of the units approved or in the penultimate stage of
approval—1,609 out of 2,343—are outside the barrier.
Restricting new settlements to areas inside the barrier can help maintain the
viability of a two-state solution, since these settlements would likely be
annexed into Israel as part of a process of territorial exchanges during
final-status negotiations. In that sense, at least, such settlements can be
viewed as less provocative. Yet adding new units outside the barrier is highly
provocative and makes future separation between Israelis and Palestinians more
difficult. The question is whether this move is the start of a new trend or a
temporary political expedient.
THE PROCESS OF SETTLEMENT APPROVAL
In recent years, Israel has restructured the approval process to reduce the
prospects of sudden announcements that may prove politically embarrassing, as
happened in 2010 when new East Jerusalem housing units were approved during a
visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Today, new unit requests must go through six
stages before authorities give final approval. The August 5-6 meetings focused
on the last two stages: units approved for immediate construction, and units
whose approval is nearly final pending a sixty-day period for legal challenges
that are rarely sustained, meaning they can safely be grouped with the first
category.
Last week’s tally of approved units was one of the largest in years, though it
remains unclear how much the new units will expand the actual footprint of
Israel’s presence in the West Bank. In the past, Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu’s governments have established informal understandings with Washington
whereby settlement expansion is kept within areas adjacent to built-up units
rather than extending to entirely new areas; it is uncertain if these agreements
still hold true.
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHIC RATIOS?
Currently, an estimated 448,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank—344,000
inside the security barrier and 104,000 outside. Since Israel has nominally
annexed East Jerusalem, it does not consider the 320,000 Israelis living there
to be settlers, though other countries do. Either way, the percentage of
settlers living inside the barrier is high: 86% with East Jerusalem included,
77% without.
In the past, most new settlement units roughly reflected this ratio, but last
week’s approvals flipped it entirely—68.7% of the new units are located outside
the barrier, and 31.3% inside. Building 1,609 units outside the barrier will
mean adding an estimated 6,800 new Israeli settlers there, probably more given
the typically larger size of settler families.
NETANYAHU’S POLITICAL CALCULUS
Despite his electoral success running at the head of right-wing coalitions,
Netanyahu is routinely routed at the ballot box when attempting to woo settler
voters who live outside the barrier. Those inside the barrier are more
supportive, believing they will be annexed rather than displaced under any
two-state arrangement with the Palestinians. In contrast, settlers outside the
barrier do not see any way for their lands to be preserved under the two-state
approach; they are far more likely to be given away if land swaps occur.
Therefore, they are highly suspicious of Netanyahu’s ideological commitment to
their welfare, and they have not been not easily swayed by his apparent retreat
from the two-state approach in recent years.
Parties to his right have taken advantage of this fact, defeating him by a
three-to-one margin among voters outside the barrier. This trend held true even
during the April election campaign, when Netanyahu publicly mentioned the
possibility of Israel unilaterally annexing portions of the West Bank. By having
the government approve more units outside the barrier ahead of next month’s
revote, Netanyahu may be trying to show the settlers that he is ideologically
reliable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the settlements that garnered the most
new units (382) was Beit El. Located outside the barrier, Beit El is an
ideological flagship settlement for the movement; it is also beloved by U.S.
ambassador David Friedman, former head of the group American Friends of Beit El.
NEW PALESTINIAN UNITS IN AREA C
In addition to Israeli settlements, the government approved 715 new units for
Palestinians in Area C, a zone that constitutes 60% of the West Bank and remains
very politically sensitive. The Palestinian Authority holds various levels of
control in Area A (Palestinian urban zones) and Area B (the environs of these
urban zones), which total 40% of the West Bank. Israel has full security control
of Area C, but the two parties have yet to agree on the status of this zone
beyond that fact, making it a central arena for political combat.
The Palestinians often point to the zone’s economic value—in 2016, for example,
a World Bank study concluded that the PA’s lack of economic access to Area C
reduced its GDP by 35%. In Israel, however, a right-wing party led by former
justice minister Ayelet Shaked and former education minister Naftali Bennett has
dedicated itself to ensuring that Israel does not yield an inch of Area C. Among
other measures, they engineered procedures in which no land in that area can be
designated for the Palestinians without approval from the security cabinet. Both
are very explicit in calling for Israel to annex all of Area C.
This political pressure explains why Israel approved so few Palestinian units in
Area C prior to last week. From 2000 to 2016, it reportedly green-lit only 226
such units altogether, and none after 2016. So why 715 now?
For one thing, last week’s announcement came just as White House envoy Jared
Kushner was traveling throughout the Middle East. Netanyahu may have believed
that the Area C approvals would help Kushner as he toured Arab capitals and came
under attack for the lack of details regarding the administration’s long-delayed
peace plan. Yet the announcement of new Palestinian units received no attention
in the Arab world, where governments instead focused on the new Israeli units
outside the barrier. Other potential explanations include Israel’s embarrassment
over recent home demolitions in areas under PA control, and its desire to blunt
international objections to the large number of new Israeli units.
The exact location of these Palestinian units is unclear, and some have
speculated they may never be built. In 1997, during Netanyahu’s first term as
premier, he made a similar dual announcement, approving Israeli units in the
East Jerusalem district of Har Homa at the same time as new Palestinian units;
the latter were never built. Today, some housing in Palestinian villages at the
edge of Area B has spilled over into Area C, so they are a possible venue for
the 715 new units.
CONCLUSION
Despite growing skepticism, President Trump’s advisors insist they will still
present their peace plan in the near future, even if not until after Israel’s
September 17 elections. Yet if building two-thirds of new Israeli settlement
units outside the security barrier is the new norm rather than just a
pre-election aberration, it will sharply erode any remaining confidence in U.S.
peace efforts. Since skepticism also abounds regarding the new Palestinian units
in Area C, the Trump administration may be tempted to insist that these units
will be built. In both cases, Washington should be guided by an understanding of
where demography meets geography in the West Bank, and curtail excessive demands
on both sides accordingly.
*David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and director of the Project
on Arab-Israel Relations at The Washington Institute, and coauthor with Dennis
Ross of the soon-to-be-published book Be Strong and of Good Courage: How
Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny (PublicAffairs/Hachette).
The danger of talking yourself into a recession
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/August 19/2019
Last week’s inversion of the yield curve in the US spooked markets. Investors
received less yield for the 10-year treasury than for those with a duration of
two years. The last time this happened was 2007, at the outset of the financial
crisis. Inverted yield curves have traditionally signified that recessions would
follow within 12 to 18 months.
It should come as no surprise that this has alarmed investors. The Dow Jones
Industrial index lost around 3.3 percent between Aug. 13 and 16. It recovered
some and ended just shy of 26,000 on Friday evening. The carnage was even worse
for other bourses.
An inverted yield curve often causes a lot of concern, but it need not be a
harbinger of doom. In this case, the drop in yield of the 10-year treasury can
be partially explained by demand. Term investors like pensions funds were
seeking secure investments of longer durations to insulate themselves from the
vagaries of geopolitics and trade wars. This means that they were willing to pay
a premium and forego some yield to hold the 10-year paper.
However, this explanation does not bode for confidence in the economy. Investors
do not need to observe the inversion of the yield curve to understand sentiment;
they can also consult their gut feeling. US rating agency Standard and Poor’s
said that the probability of a recession in the US had reached 30 percent over
the last few weeks. The culprits for this increase are trade wars and a
weakening of the industrial sector. Indeed, the US purchasing managers index
(PMI) hovers around 50, which is precisely the demarcation between growth and
contraction of the industrial sector.
The significance of the PMI for the US economy is tapered by the fact that the
sector only accounts for 12 percent of GDP. At 3.7 percent, unemployment is
still at a record low and consumer confidence surged by 0.7 percent for the
month of July. President Trump’s economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, hit the
airwaves on Sunday to assert that there was no recession on the horizon.
Axa Chief economic adviser and economic sage Mohamed El Erian made a pertinent
point in a Bloomberg column. He highlighted the danger of “spooking investors
with breathless coverage of the yield curve inversion.”
Systemic corruption threatens Tehran regime’s future
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/August 19/2019
For many years, Iranian institutions have suffered from endemic and rampant
financial and administrative corruption. Despite this, successive governments
have always presented themselves as being blameless, transparent and free from
any trace of wrongdoing. For example, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
described his government as the most transparent since the 1979 revolution. In
reality, however, a well-known fact among the Iranian people is that regime
officials are extensively involved in financial corruption and embezzlement,
with plentiful evidence available. The best-known large-scale case in recent
years was the embezzlement of more than $3 billion by one senior regime
official, who fled the country. This is in addition to the corruption in
government programs, such as the Mehr housing project, among others.
The current administration of President Hassan Rouhani, like previous ones,
regularly claims that it is working to fight corruption and to punish the
corrupt. However, as Iranians are well aware, this is pure propaganda, with the
government systemically corrupt from top to bottom. Also, the government is
unfamiliar with concepts such as integrity, transparency or accountability,
except in the sphere of abstract political language for propaganda purposes.
One recent example highlights how corruption hampers Iranian society. The
Iranian Parliament’s Research Center announced in a report published last
Wednesday that 59 percent of the National Development Fund’s (NDF) budget was
spent on obtaining licenses or introducing amendments to different laws. This
expenditure is beyond the NDF’s routine business set out in the internal
statutes supposedly governing its outlay. Withdrawals from the NDF can only be
carried out after first obtaining direct permission from the supreme leader or
as a result of legislative procedures undertaken by the Iranian Parliament.
Iranian authorities arrested Ahmad Aragchi, the former deputy chairman of the
Central Bank of Iran’s hard currency section and an employee of one of Rouhani’s
aides. This was in addition to four other hard currency brokers who were
detained by Iran’s security authorities for conducting illegal activities or,
possibly more accurately, conducting illicit activities in which regime
officials didn’t receive their usual cut of the profits. Similarly, a clerk at a
currency exchange office found to be involved in illicit deals was summoned for
questioning and detained in custody pending trial.
Another subject angering many in Iran is the astronomical salaries paid to
regime officials, which has been one of the biggest domestic scandals to hit the
Rouhani administration. More than 397 high-level government administration
personnel have been exposed due to their colossal salaries and massive debts,
which exceed 300 billion tomans ($14 million). Among the senior officials caught
up in this scandal was the CEO of Bank Mellat, who reportedly engaged in massive
embezzlement and corruption with the help of political allies such as Hossein
Fereydoun, who is Rouhani’s younger brother and aide.
Another indication of the extent of corruption within Rouhani’s government is
the record-breaking sums embezzled, stolen or otherwise misappropriated, with
reports suggesting that $1.17 billion of the country’s oil revenues, which the
economy depends on, were fraudulently siphoned off and apparently “disappeared.”
Nobody yet knows how this vast sum of money was spent.
Despite the regime’s efforts to present itself as a shining model of financial
probity, global statistics suggest otherwise. According to Trading Economics’
Corruption Index, Iran ranks 138th out of 175 countries, while the 2018
Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International states that
Iran’s ranking averaged 125.38 from 2003 to 2018, reaching an all-time high of
168 in 2009 and a record low of 78 in 2003. Its current ranking places it
alongside Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan.
Despite the regime’s efforts to present itself as a shining model of financial
probity, global statistics suggest otherwise.
All sectors of Iran’s economy are blighted by this systemic corruption and
mismanagement. The National Iranian Petrochemical Industries Company (NIPIC)
revealed in March that the Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC), the
centerpiece of a major financial scandal being investigated by a Tehran court,
had failed to repay €500 million ($554 million) of debts incurred since 2013.
The NIPIC statement contradicted an earlier announcement by Tehran’s prosecutor
Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, who insisted that no embezzlement had taken place in
the case. Instead, Dolatabadi claimed that the suspected officials had simply
“mishandled” revenues accrued from Iran’s petrochemical exports, with the
interest accrued from the “mishandling” (or laundering) of these funds via their
bank accounts reaching €4 million.
Several high-level PCC management personnel are among the suspects in the graft
case, which is linked to Iran’s sanctions-evading operations. They are also
currently being probed for alleged corruption in cases that took place before
the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted international sanctions on Iran.
In other corruption-related news, which led to widespread public anger toward
Rouhani’s administration, the head of the Iranian Parliament’s Court of Audit,
Adel Azer, recently revealed that more than 11 billion tomans raised from local
natural gas sales had not been deposited in the state treasury, urging that
measures needed to be taken to remedy the situation.
All these factors suggest that, as sanctions continue to send Iran’s economy
into a tailspin and as the regime continues to spend billions on regional
militias and wars, the Iranian people are unlikely to tolerate the woeful and
corrupt ruling system much longer.
*Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is Head of the International Institute for Iranian
Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not
necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view
He has a point: If investors are scared, they will invest less, consumers will
purchase less and we could end up in a vicious circle. He observed that bond
markets are internationally more connected than national economies, which
explains why the yield curve inversion in the US had such a ripple effect
through global stock markets.
Panic is never a good sentiment in international markets; El Erian’s wise words
came at a good time. Investors should also be beware of exuberance. Kudlow’s
comments can be put in that category. Consumer confidence and unemployment rates
are one thing. However, the dark clouds of protectionism are gathering and this
brings significant risk of slowing down the global economy.
This brings us to what central banks can do. There is huge pressure on Federal
Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to continue lowering rates. There are two schools
of thought: Prudent observers are concerned that lowering the base rate again
would be tantamount to squandering a valuable tool while the going is still
relatively good.
Others are concerned that following the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve
has few quivers left in its arsenal and therefore needs to prevent a recession
at all costs. They recommend a rate cut of 50 basis points in September to get
ahead of the story. Subscribers to that view should recall that tiny or negative
interest rates and ever-expanding balance sheets of central banks did little to
foster economic growth in Japan or Europe.
Last week has certainly given food for thought to the central bankers who will
gather at their annual Jackson Hole retreat later this week. Stay tuned.
• Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources