English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 03/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

#elias_bejjani_news

 

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Bible Quotations For today
 

Jesus said to the man of high position whose son was ill at Capernaum, Go in peace; your son is living.
Holy Bible Of John04/39-54/Now a number of the people of that town had faith in him because of the woman's witness: He has been talking to me of everything I ever did. So when the people came to him they made request to him to be among them for a time, and he was there two days. And a great number more of them came to have faith in him because of what he himself said. And they said to the woman, Now we have faith, but not because of your story: we ourselves have given ear to his words, and we are certain that he is truly the Saviour of the world. And after the two days he went on from there into Galilee. For Jesus himself said that a prophet has no honour in the country of his birth. So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans took him to their hearts because of the things which they had seen him do in Jerusalem at the feast--they themselves having been there at the feast. So he came to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was a certain man of high position whose son was ill at Capernaum. When it came to his ears that Jesus had come from Judaea into Galilee, he went to him and made a request that he would come down to his son, who was near to death, and make him well. Then Jesus said to him, You will not have faith if you do not see signs and wonders. The man said, Sir, come down before my boy is dead. And Jesus said, Go in peace; your son is living. The man had faith in the word which Jesus said to him and went away. And while he was going down, his servants came to him and said, Your boy is living. So he put a question to them as to the hour when he became better; and they said to him, The disease went from him yesterday at the seventh hour. It was clear then to the father that this was the very time at which Jesus said to him, Your son is living. And he had faith in Jesus, he and all his family. Now this is the second sign which Jesus did after he had come out of Judaea into Galilee.


Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 02- 03/2020

Absurdity Of Any Presidential Or parliamentary elections While Hezbollah Is still Occupying Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/December 01/2020
France Says its Roadmap for Reform Unfulfilled in Lebanon
Macron at second international conference in support of Beirut: We will not give up necessity for reforms, investigations into port explosion
Guterres at international video conference in support of Lebanon: “Through Reform, Recovery, and Reconstruction Framework we can help the Lebanese”
Aoun at Second International Conference to Aid and Support Lebanon: We are determined to continue process of liberating Lebanese state from corruption
President Aoun’s full address during videoconference on humanitarian assistance for Lebanon
Aoun calls Supreme Defense Council to convene in extraordinary meeting tomorrow
President Aoun deliberates stages of maritime delineation negotiation process with US mediator
Lebanon’s president expresses hope for Israel border talks
Slim hopes for Macron’s Lebanon aid conference
Berating political class, Macron vows more urgent aid for Lebanese people
Israeli Jets Overfly Most Lebanese Regions at Low, Medium Altitudes
Qahwaji among 8 Retired Military Figures Indicted over Alleged Graft
Lebanon indicts 8 retired military figures over alleged graft
U.S. Says Envoy Held 'Productive' Sea Border Talks in Lebanon
Famhi Testifies before State Prosecutor over Judiciary Remarks
Desrocher, Shea visit Army Chief to discuss maritime demarcation negotiations course
US Embassy: Desrocher visits Lebanon, holds talks over mediation efforts on Lebanon-Israel maritime boundary
Maronite bishops push for swift formation of expert government
Rahi meets British Minister of State: To urge politicians to form government as soon as possible
Sami Gemayel says Hezbollah's assault against USJ proof of disrespect for democracy
Several Hurt as Clash Linked to USJ Elections Renews
Retired Customs General who 'Served at Beirut Port' Found Dead
Araji Says Pivotal Meeting with World Bank on Drug Subsidies on Friday
Killer of Lebanon's Hariri to Be Sentenced on December 11
Beirut's elite don't know what to do with Lebanon besides loot it/Michael Young/The National/December 02/2020
Arabs Warn Biden: Do Not Embolden Hezbollah/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/December 02/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
 on
December 02- 03/2020

Hundreds of Syrian mercenaries return from Karabakh
Russia’s Putin praises Armenian prime minister for signing Nagorno-Karabakh deal
WHO recommends wearing masks indoors if ventilation is poor
Israel Gets New Missile Boat as Iran Tensions Surge
Israeli Knesset takes step towards new elections amid disunity
UAE expects 'warm peace' and progress with Israel and Palestinians
Israel celebrates UAE’s National Day amid new peace joy
Bahraini minister: We will make peace with Israel a success story
Trump reportedly loosens reins on punishing Iran
Egypt mulls prospects of relations with Israel before Netanyahu visit
Biden Eyes Swift New Iran Talks after Nuclear Deal Return


Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 02- 03/2020

L’audit juridique approuvé par 90 députés n’a aucune force contraignante et reflète la faillite et l’incapacité de tenir les personnes corrompues responsable/Par Abdel Hamid El Ahdab, Avocat/December 02/2020
The Cold War with China has begun/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/December 02/202
The End of Arab Nationalism/Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD/December 02/2020
European allies pushed back when Trump sanctioned Iran’s banks/John O’Donnell and Jonathan Saul/Reuters/December 02/2020
Officials Say Peace Accord Between Sudan and Israel Is Already at Risk of Unraveling/Lara Jakes/The New York Times/December 02/2020
Why Joe Biden's Middle East and Israel policy is not Obama's/Michael Fenenbock/The Media Line/December 02/2020
Parlous finances top Iraq’s list of troubles/Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/December 02/2020


The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 02- 03/2020

Absurdity Of Any Presidential Or parliamentary elections While Hezbollah Is still Occupying Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/December 01/2020

#Hezbollah_Occupies_Lebanon

الياس بجاني: عقم وسخافة أية انتخابات رئاسية أو برلمانية في ظل احتلال حزب الله

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/93137/elias-bejjani-absurdity-of-any-presidential-or-parliamentary-elections-while-hezbollah-is-still-occupying-lebanon/

It is so disappointing to know that Lebanon, in its present and near past history, did not know a president who is a mere failure as is the case of self-centered Michel Aoun.
This man does not have any of the needed gifts and traits of leadership, nor he comprehends the meaning of what is faith or fear from the day of Judgment.
Likewise, since independence and before that era Lebanon has not seen a parliament whose the majority of its members are castrated politically, morally, ethically and courage wise.
Despite of this disastrous status quo of both the presidency and the parliament, is it possible while Hezbollah is still occupying the country to replace either the president or the parliament’s 128 members with efficient and sovereign substitutes? Definitely not !!
Let us assume that in case President Aoun did voluntarily resign or if even he was forced to step down what will happen?
There is no doubt that Hezbollah who controls the parliamentary majority and forces its hegemony on the country will appoint a president who might be much, much worse than Aoun.
The same scenario will apply to any parliamentary elections as long as Hezbollah is hijacking the country and taking it a hostage.
Hence, the Maronite politicians, activists and political party leaders in particular who are calling for the resignation of Michel Aoun, or for an early parliamentary elections, in their majority and by all standards are either “Arabized” and not Lebanese in their evil and covert motives, or mere merchants, scribes, and Pharisees with a narcissistic ideology and a mere total Tunnel Vision.
Meanwhile, those who are “Arabized” as well as those who are narcissistic, both selfishly share the same Tunnel Vision mentality, and all what they hope for is to either have a shot on the presidency post, or to increase the numbers of their parliamentary members.
In order to further demean, ridicule, and expose the personal agendas of the Maronite leaders, politicians, and owners of the political parties who are calling for Aoun’s resignation, and for an early parliamentary elections, we remind them, as well as the public, of their on going sovereign-patriotic sins, stupidity, selfishness, and lack of vision that made it possible for Aoun and his son-in-law to be where they are.
In conclusion, there are no solutions, being big or small, and in any field or on any level, under Hezbollah’s occupation.
Likewise, there is no value or any actual patriotic benefits from any presidential or parliamentary elections while Hezbollah occupies and total dominated the country on all ruling levels.
The priority for each and every free and patriotic Lebanese must at the present time the focus only on the implementation of UN Resolutions that address Lebanon’s crisis, namely the Armistice Agreement with Israel, and the UN resolutions,1559, 1701,1680 .
Note: What does it mean to say that this person has a tunnel vision?
If you say that someone has a tunnel vision, then you mean that he is only focusing on achieving a specific goal and not noticing or thinking about anything else.

 

France Says its Roadmap for Reform Unfulfilled in Lebanon
Naharnet/December 02/2020 
The French presidency reportedly said the US sanctions against the political class in Lebanon had “no impact” so far and will not ease the government formation gridlock, media reports said Wednesday. France indicated that “a deteriorating monetary situation in the country only means Lebanon is to face additional difficulties and problems, which makes a real audit of the country’s Central Bank more imperative,” the reports added. “None of the measures required in the French road map for Lebanon have been implemented, and nothing has been implemented regarding audit of the central bank’s accounts,” added the French presidency.

Macron at second international conference in support of Beirut: We will not give up necessity for reforms, investigations into port explosion
NNA/December 02/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron declared in his speech during the opening of the Second International Conference in Support of Beirut and the Lebanese People in Paris that "France contributes to supporting the Lebanese people, and this support cannot come in place of the support expected for the Lebanese authorities, and it cannot replace the need to form a government.""We will not give up the necessity to carry out reforms and [finalize] investigations into the port of Beirut explosion. I will visit Lebanon soon," he said.

Guterres at international video conference in support of Lebanon: “Through Reform, Recovery, and Reconstruction Framework we can help the Lebanese”
NNA/December 02/2020
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, delivered on Wednesday evening the following remarks at the international video conference in support of Lebanon:
“Ladies and gentlemen,  Against this grim background, we must assess the levels of incoming support against the continuing needs of the population. Our efforts should be focused on the most vulnerable. With the launch of the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework, prepared jointly by the World Bank, the European Union and United Nations, we have a plan. Through this Framework – the 3RF – we can, together, help the Lebanese people move beyond the emergency phase and onto the path for longer-term recovery and reconstruction. We can address the recovery and reconstruction needs of Beirut, particularly of the port, as well as impacted areas and affected communities. With a sustainable urban planning approach and quick socio-economic recovery action, we can start to revitalise Beirut as the beating heart of Lebanon. Significantly, the 3RF includes a targeted set of reforms, which are essential to facilitate recovery and reconstruction and to address the root causes of the crisis. The continued engagement of non-governmental stakeholders is key. The voices of the people must be heard. We must mobilize more support for the urgent needs of the families and businesses impacted by the explosion;
for the vulnerable and poor; and for the marginalized and the underserved.  We must continue, with one voice, to call the leadership of Lebanon to put aside partisan political interests and form a government that adequately protects and responds to the needs of the people. The United Nations will continue to support Lebanon and its people towards a sustainable and long-term recovery.  I reiterate my appreciation to Lebanon’s many partners, including world leaders, international humanitarian organizations and key multilateral and regional financial institutions, for their partnership in this endeavour."—UNIC

Aoun at Second International Conference to Aid and Support Lebanon: We are determined to continue process of liberating Lebanese state from corruption
NNA/December 02/2020
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that “Lebanon doesn’t know the impossible, and our history tells us that we are a people who are not tired of the struggle to preserve their existence. Lebanon is determined, no matter what the cost, to pursue the process of liberating the Lebanese state from the system of political, economic and administrative corruption, which the country has become hostage to, with the cover of sectarian and social guarantees. The President also considered that “The international community can provide basic assistance to Lebanon in this context, through the means available to the United Nations and the European Union, in terms of combatting the theft of public funds and tracking illegal transfers of capital abroad, specifically starting from October 17, 2019”. “The numerous tragedies which befell Lebanon, which the Lebanese are facing today, exceed their capacity and ability to endure, as the economic difficulties the country is going through have burdened their shoulders, hit their savings and jobs, threatened their children’s future, and in the midst of spread of Covid19 pandemic came the tragedy of the Beirut Port explosion striking the heart of our capital. This increased the tragedies of our people and the damage inflicted our economy. The assistance of the international community is essential, whatever the methods, mechanisms or tools and whatever the channels which will be adopted, as long as it is under the supervision of the United Nations” President Aoun continued.
The President then renewed the call to the international community to “Resolve the issue of return of displaced Syrians to their lands, because our depleted country doesn’t have the infrastructure nor the appropriate means which would allow it to continue receiving or providing them with any support”.
“Today, our priority is to form a Government by adopting single standards which apply on all political forces. What is required of the coming Government is to launch the workshop of urgent structural reforms, reconstruct Beirut, develop a financial and economic recovery plan and law down implementation frameworks” President Aoun added. The stances of President Aoun came in a speech addressed at the “Second International Conference to Aid and Support Lebanon and the Lebanese People”, held via video technology, this evening at the French capital, Paris. The conference was held at the invitation of French President, Emmanuel Macron, chaired also by President Macron and UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, with around 30 Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers participating, in addition to directors of international and financial organizations, and NGOs.
Before delivering the speech, President Aoun and the participants listened to the words of a number of Lebanese youth from civil and non-governmental organizations and associations expressing their feelings and sufferings, as a result of last August’s Beirut Port explosion. The President indicated that the Lebanese youth have expressed their concerns, their deep rootedness in their country, and their great hope for the future of Lebanon.—Presidency Press Office

President Aoun’s full address during videoconference on humanitarian assistance for Lebanon
NNA/December 02/2020
The following an address by His Excellency the President of the Lebanese Republic General Michel Aoun
at the videoconference on humanitarian assistance for Lebanon on December 2, 2020:
“Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to thank my friend, His Excellency President Emmanuel Macron, for the unwavering support he is always demonstrating for Lebanon. Despite all the hurdles placed in the face of the French initiative, it must continue because the crises that my country is going through exceed its limits.
Doesn’t the saying go: “Impossible n’est pas français”
I would also like to thank the Secretary General of the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres and all the country leaders who are present today, united by the sincere desire to help Lebanon and its people.
The letter that I addressed to the Lebanese Parliament, following the halt of the forensic audit has earned a general consensus. Indeed, this national challenge to which I hold-on more than anything else, and which I have been claiming since 2005, is above political bickering. Without it, no agreement would be possible neither with the countries that wish to help Lebanon, nor with the IMF. The parliamentary blocs responded with a unanimous agreement on a complete and comprehensive audit.
This decision would allow to identify the people responsible for the bankruptcy of our economic system, and pave the way for reforms that are necessary for the recovery of the Lebanese State.
I am determined, at all costs, to go all the way to rescue the country from the system of political, financial and administrative corruption that has taken it hostage under the guise of various types of codified, sectarian, confessional and social protection. Your assistance is indispensable, through the means that the United Nations and the European Union possess, to fight the embezzlement of public funds and trace down the illegal transfers that were made, notably after October 17. Today, it’s a priority to form a government while applying the same criteria to all political forces. The government’s tasks are huge: it must at the same time launch the workshop of structural reforms, rebuild Beirut and put forth a financial recovery plan.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The multiple tragedies that the Lebanese are facing today are dramatic. The country’s economic difficulties have hit hard their savings and their jobs, even undermining the future of their children. The tragic Port blast that struck the heart of Beirut has added to their troubles, along with the Covid-19 that continues to rage in our country and throughout the world.
For all these reasons which came on top of each other in an unsustainable manner, your assistance is crucial for the overall Lebanese population, from North to South. This assistance is indispensable, regardless of the selected method, mechanism, process and channel, provided that everything remains under your supervision and that of the United Nations.
It is worth noting that Lebanon is currently negotiating a loan of 246 million dollars with the World Bank, for the Lebanese Emergency Crisis and COVID-19 Response Social Safety Net Project. We will complete the negotiations this week and we would like to request urgent approval by the World Bank’s Board of Directors.
Today, Lebanon continues to pay a high price with a sheer number of Syrian displaced. It is therefore more urgent than ever that the international community regulates for good their return to their safe territories. Our benighted country has neither the infrastructure nor the means to keep accommodating them, and less even to provide assistance to them.
Dear friends,
Lebanon is the country of all possibilities!
Our history proves that we have always resisted to exist.
I have called on the Lebanese people to rise in a unified voice, to exert pressure where needed, in order to win the anti-corruption battle, an existential war for Lebanon. Today, here and now, I ask the international community not to abandon the country of the Cedars which is “a treasure for the entire humanity”.”—Presidency Press Office

Aoun calls Supreme Defense Council to convene in extraordinary meeting tomorrow
NNA/December 02/2020
President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, on Wednesday called the Supreme Defense Council to convene in an extraordinary meeting, tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, to discuss the security situation in the country, and the developments of follow-up on public mobilization.—Presidency Press Office

President Aoun deliberates stages of maritime delineation negotiation process with US mediator
NNA/December 02/2020
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received head of the United States’ delegation mediating in indirect negotiations to demarcate southern maritime borders, Ambassador John Deroche, today at the Presidential Palace.
The President told Deroche that “Lebanon maintains its sovereignty over its land and waters, and wants the maritime demarcation negotiations to succeed to enhance stability in the south, and enable the investment in natural resources, such as gas and oil”. President Aoun also indicated that “The difficulties which emerged in the last negotiations round can be overcome through in-depth research based on international rights, articles of the law of the sea and all the legal texts thereof”.
In addition, the President stated that the Lebanese negotiating delegation has clear instructions to negotiate on that basis, asserting the need “To continue negotiations in order to achieve the goal of conducting them, and if this fails, for any reason, other alternatives can be studied”. For his part, Ambassador Deroche had discussed with the President, the stages which the negotiation process had completed and the US role, wishing that negotiations would continue in the interest of all. US Ambassador in Beirut, Dorothy Shea, and Political Adviser, Audrey Kiranen, attended the meeting on the American side. On the Lebanese side, former Minister, Salim Jreisatti, Presidency Director-General, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and Advisers: Brigadier General, Paul Matar, and Osama Khachab attended.—Presidency Press Office


Lebanon’s president expresses hope for Israel border talks
AP/December 02, 2020
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president said Wednesday he wants maritime border talks with Israel to succeed and that disagreements during the last round of negotiations can be resolved based on international law. President Michel Aoun spoke during a meeting with John Desrocher, the US mediator for the negotiations, who was in Beirut for discussions with Lebanese leaders. The fourth round of talks, which was scheduled to take place Wednesday, was postponed until further notice, officials in the two countries said. The negotiations are the first non-security talks to be held between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war following decades of conflict. Resolving the border issue could pave the way for lucrative oil and gas deals on both sides. Israel and Lebanon each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. During the second round of the talks the Lebanese delegation — a mix of army officers and experts — offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles). Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview with Army Radio last week that “the Lebanese presented positions that are a provocation,” but he added that all negotiations start with “excessive demands and provocations.” “I hope that in a few months we’ll be able to reach a breakthrough,” he added. A statement released by Aoun’s office quoted him as telling Desrocher that Lebanon wants the talks to succeed because “this will strengthen stability in the south and allow us to invest in natural resources of oil and gas.” He said difficulties that surfaced during the last round can be solved through discussions based on the Law of the Sea. Aoun said if the talks stall then “other alternatives can be put forward,” without elaborating.
The last round of talks were held in November and hosted by the United Nations in a border post between the two countries. Israel has already developed offshore natural gas rigs, producing enough for domestic consumption and export abroad. Lebanon hopes that its own oil and gas discoveries will help alleviate its long-running economic troubles.

 

Slim hopes for Macron’s Lebanon aid conference
The Arab Weekly/December 02/2020
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron will seek to revive his country’s initiative on Lebanon when he hosts an international aid conference on Wednesday, but with the country’s fractious political class bickering, hopes of a breakthrough appear slim. Four months after a massive explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed swathes of the capital city, Lebanon is no closer to forming a credible government to overhaul the bankrupt state despite French efforts to convince politicians to introduce partial reforms to confront the emergency.
France, the United States and other donors who repeatedly came to Lebanon’s aid since the 1975-90 civil war are losing patience with its politicians, many of them familiar faces in charge during the country’s descent into economic crisis.
“There will be a lot of tough messages on how serious the crisis is and how Lebanon can’t detract from taking the steps to reform,” said one diplomatic source of the conference co-hosted with the United Nations. “But it will be light on real commitments.” An official with the French presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the conference, said Wednesday’s meeting would take stock of how urgent aid could best be used going forward, rather than offer up new amounts of cash to a country “known for its dysfunctions, to put it mildly.”
In a dire report published Tuesday, the World Bank said Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” with real GPD projected to plunge by nearly 20% because its politicians refuse to implement reforms that would speed up the country’s recovery. The French official said representatives from 27 countries would take part in the conference, including 12 heads of state, but that local Lebanese aid groups would have a central role as trusted partners. World leaders and international organisations pledged nearly $300 million in emergency humanitarian aid after the blast but warned that no money for rebuilding the capital will be made available until Lebanese authorities commit themselves to serious political and economic reforms. The donors pledged the aid will be coordinated by the UN and delivered directly to the Lebanese people, in a clear rebuke of the country’s entrenched and notoriously corrupt leaders. “We have the same parliament, we have the same political leaders,” the French official said. “Fortunately, we note that civil society has organised, which is taking up position and compensating for the deficiencies of the state and public services.”
A fund managed by the World Bank will also be created in the coming weeks to channel humanitarian aid through UN agencies and nongovernmental organisations. Macron, a natural ally given Lebanon is a former French colony, has invested a lot of political capital in trying to break the deadlock, vowing to not give up on the Lebanese. He is due to visit French troops operating as part of a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon around December 20, diplomats said. Having seen deadlines to form a government pass and political talks stall, Macron opted to go ahead with an aid conference to take stock of the situation.
However, officials have made it clear that Lebanon will not be bailed out without reforms and that any aid will only be to help recovery. “When there’s no Plan B, France always organises a conference,” said a Western diplomat, adding that the Lebanon situation was unlikely to evolve before a new US administration was firmly in place.


Berating political class, Macron vows more urgent aid for Lebanese people
Arab News/December 02/2020
PARIS: France's president said on Wednesday a fund will be set up to ensure aid is channelled directly to the Lebanese people, but warned that without a credible new government there would be no international bailout to save the beleaguered country. Emmanuel Macron is trying to revive a French initiative on Lebanon, but with the country's fractious political class bickering, hopes of a breakthrough anytime soon appear slim. Four months after a massive explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed swathes of the capital city, Lebanon is no closer to forming a credible government to overhaul the bankrupt state despite French efforts to convince politicians to introduce partial reforms to confront the emergency. France, the United States and other donors who repeatedly came to Lebanon's aid after the 1975-90 civil war are losing patience with its politicians, many of them familiar faces in charge during the country's descent into economic crisis. "The immediate (humanitarian) needs are still not taken care of with the country falling further into crisis," Macron said at the opening of a video conference hosting heads of state and non-governmental organisations to take stock of the humanitarian situation in the country.
He said a fund handled by the World Bank, United Nations and European Union would be set up to work with non-governmental organisations to provide support ranging from food, healthcare, education and reconstruction of the port. "This support does not replace the commitment of the Lebanese authorities and institutions to form a government and put into action the reform roadmap without which the international economic help will not come," Macron said. Macron, a natural ally given Lebanon is a former French colony, has invested a lot of political capital in trying to break the deadlock, vowing not to give up on the Lebanese. He is due to visit French troops operating as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon around Dec. 20, diplomats said. "We will not give up on the promises we made or the demands on the reforms or the investigation on the origins of the explosion. I will head to Lebanon in December to carry those demands," he said. Officials have made it clear that Lebanon will not be bailed out without structural reforms, a full audit of the central bank and that any immediate aid will only be to help urgent recovery. "Lebanon will not escape this type of audit if it wants serious negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. It is indispensable, otherwise it's bankruptcy," a French official said.A similar conference in August raised nearly 253 million euros ($298 million) in pledges. The official said Wednesday's conference should raise a bit more.

 

Israeli Jets Overfly Most Lebanese Regions at Low, Medium Altitudes
Naharnet/December 02/2020
Israeli warplanes overflew Beirut, Dahiyeh, Metn, the South and a number of regions at low and medium altitudes on Wednesday evening, media reports said. The roaring of the fighter jets was clearly heard over the capital Beirut and its suburbs. The National News Agency said intensive overflights were also recorded over Chouf, Sidon city and the East Sidon region at low altitudes. Further south, the Israeli jets overflew the Tyre, Nabatiyeh and Iqlim al-Tuffah regions at medium altitudes.

Qahwaji among 8 Retired Military Figures Indicted over Alleged Graft
Agence France Presse/December 02/2020
A Lebanese prosecutor Wednesday indicted eight retired military figures including ex-army chief General Jean Qahwaji over "illicit enrichment," a judicial source said, in a first under a new anti-graft law. Popular anger has grown in the past year over alleged corruption among the political elite in Lebanon, where a dire economic crisis has pushed the poverty rate up to more than half the population. Since mass protests erupted in October 2019, the under-fire ruling class has repeatedly pledged to root out graft, and this year the parliament passed a new law to combat illicit enrichment. But critics have expressed little trust in a system they say is riddled with nepotism. Those accused of graft on Wednesday included former army chief Qahwaji, who held the post from 2008 to 2017, and several former military intelligence chiefs, the judicial source said. The Beirut state prosecutor launched proceedings over their alleged "illicit enrichment, and using their official positions to reap vast wealth," the source said. A preliminary investigation showed a lack of correlation between their wealth and their income, the source said, adding that they would be questioned on December 10. The official National News Agency said it was the first time such indictments were made since the law was passed. It also made mention of a bank that several years ago had allegedly allowed Qahwaji and members of his family to deposit sums of up to $1.2 million in their accounts, without justification as to the origin of the funds.

Lebanon indicts 8 retired military figures over alleged graft
AFP/December 02, 2020
BEIRUT: A Lebanese prosecutor Wednesday indicted eight retired military figures including a former army chief over “illicit enrichment,” a judicial source said, in a first under a new anti-graft law. Popular anger has grown in the past year over alleged corruption among the political elite in Lebanon, where a dire economic crisis has pushed the poverty rate up to more than half the population. Since mass protests erupted in October 2019, the under-fire ruling class has repeatedly pledged to root out graft, and this year the parliament passed a new law to combat illicit enrichment. But critics have expressed little trust in a system they say is riddled with nepotism. Those accused of graft on Wednesday included former army chief Jean Kahwaji, who held the post from 2008 to 2017, and several former military intelligence chiefs, the judicial source said. The Beirut state prosecutor launched proceedings over their alleged “illicit enrichment, and using their official positions to reap vast wealth,” the source said. A preliminary investigation showed a lack of correlation between their wealth and their income, the source said, adding that they would be questioned on December 10. The official National News Agency said it was the first time such indictments were made since the law was passed. It also made mention of a bank that several years ago had allegedly allowed Kahwaji and members of his family to deposit sums of up to $1.2 million in their accounts, without justification as to the origin of the funds.
 

U.S. Says Envoy Held 'Productive' Sea Border Talks in Lebanon
Associated Press/December 02, 2020
United States envoy Ambassador John Desrocher visited Lebanon Wednesday for talks with officials, as part his ongoing mediation efforts on the Lebanon-Israel maritime boundary, the U.S. embassy said. While in Lebanon, he held bilateral talks with President Michel Aoun, Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun, and the head of the Lebanese negotiating team, Brigadier General Bassam Yassine, as well as other members of the Lebanese delegation. “The discussions were productive and allowed for a frank exchange of views on necessary steps to reach a long-awaited and mutually beneficial agreement,” the embassy said in a statement. The fourth round of talks, which was scheduled to take place Wednesday, was postponed until further notice, officials in the two countries said. The negotiations are the first non-security talks to be held between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war following decades of conflict. Resolving the border issue could pave the way for lucrative oil and gas deals on both sides. Israel and Lebanon each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. During the second round of the talks the Lebanese delegation -- a mix of army officers and experts -- offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles). Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview with Army Radio last week that "the Lebanese presented positions that are a provocation," but he added that all negotiations start with "excessive demands and provocations." "I hope that in a few months we'll be able to reach a breakthrough," he added. A statement released by Aoun's office quoted him as telling Desrocher that Lebanon wants the talks to succeed because "this will strengthen stability in the south and allow us to invest in natural resources of oil and gas." He said difficulties that surfaced during the last round can be solved through discussions based on the Law of the Sea. Aoun said if the talks stall then "other alternatives can be put forward," without elaborating. The last round of talks was held in November and hosted by the United Nations in a border post between the two countries. Israel has already developed offshore natural gas rigs, producing enough for domestic consumption and export abroad. Lebanon hopes that its own oil and gas discoveries will help alleviate its long-running economic troubles.

Famhi Testifies before State Prosecutor over Judiciary Remarks
Naharnet/December 02, 2020
State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat on Wednesday heard the testimony of caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi over his latest remarks about the judiciary. In his testimony, Fahmi said he “did not mean to insult the judicial authority,” the National News Agency said. He lauded “the firm relation between security agencies and the judiciary, especially that security agencies are an essential part of the judicial law enforcement system.” Fahmi also stressed that he is “under the law.”NNA said Oueidat will study Fahmi’s testimony before briefing the Higher Judicial Council on it during its weekly meeting tomorrow, Thursday. In a recent interview on MTV, Fahmi had claimed that “95% of judges are corrupt,” drawing an angry response from the Council.

 

Desrocher, Shea visit Army Chief to discuss maritime demarcation negotiations course
NNA/December 02/2020
Armed Forces Commander, General Joseph Aoun, welcomed on Wednesday at his office in Yarzeh Head of the US delegation mediating the indirect technical negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders, Ambassador John Desrocher, and US ambassador Dorothy Shea, in the presence of Head of the Lebanese delegation, Brigadier General Bassam Yassin, with talks touching on the course of the negotiations. During the meeting, General Aoun hoped to "continue the process of indirect negotiations in a way that preserves Lebanon's maritime rights in accordance with international laws."
In turn, Ambassador Desrocher wished "the continuation of the negotiation process between the two sides, to reach the desired results."

US Embassy: Desrocher visits Lebanon, holds talks over mediation efforts on Lebanon-Israel maritime boundary

NNA/December 02/2020
United States Ambassador, John Desrocher, visited Lebanon today and held bilateral talks with H.E. President Michel Aoun, Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun, and Brigadier General Bassam Yassine, as well as other members of the Lebanese delegation. These talks occurred as part of Ambassador Desrocher’s ongoing mediation efforts on the Lebanon-Israel maritime boundary. The discussions were productive and allowed for a frank exchange of views on necessary steps to reach a long-awaited and mutually beneficial agreement.—US Embassy in Beirut

Maronite bishops push for swift formation of expert government
NNANNA/December 02/2020
Maronite bishops on Wednesday stepped up calls for the formation of an expert government, which immediately begins a salvation mission to prevent the country's total collapse. In the wake of their monthly meeting, under the chairmanship of the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi, the prelates announced that they awaited the approval of adequate laws for the recovery of state institutions from corruption. The Maronite bishops also affirmed that there was no future for a state without its younger people, "who are the basis of progress towards the future." They finally urged all people to comply with the preventive measures against the coronavirus.

Rahi meets British Minister of State: To urge politicians to form government as soon as possible
NNA/December 02/2020
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, received this Wednesday in Bkirki the British Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa Affairs, James Cleverly, accompanied by British Ambassador Chris Rampling. After the meeting, Cleverly said: "I was honored to meet His Beatitude. We talked at length about the situation in Lebanon and the region, and the important role that Lebanon played throughout history when it was neutral, as it was considered a center of science, culture, dialogue, trade, health and tourism. We also talked about the importance of forming a government to face the crises from which Lebanon suffers, so that this country can regain its position and role.""I promised His Beatitude to adopt the principle of neutrality in my upcoming meetings with Lebanese politicians, in the hope that the words of His Beatitude and the stances of the international community could prompt politicians to form the government that the people aspire to, at the earliest time possible," he added.

Sami Gemayel says Hezbollah's assault against USJ proof of disrespect for democracy
NNA/December 02/2020
Member of Parliament, Sami Gemayel, on Wednesday commented via twitter on the recent standoff between Hezbollah and USJ members. "The attack by Hezbollah members against USJ students is an outright indication of the extent of the former team's lack of respect for democracy, let alone the concept of elections and their outcome," Gemayel tweeted. "No wonder they've [Hezbollah] rejected early elections and attempted to torpedo any impending election," Gemayel's tweet added.

Several Hurt as Clash Linked to USJ Elections Renews

Naharnet/December 02, 2020
Several people were wounded Wednesday in a brawl at the Huvelin campus of the Saint Joseph University (USJ) in connection with the ongoing student elections at the university, the National News Agency said. The clash had first erupted Tuesday between a group of students, reportedly belonging to Hizbullah and the Lebanese Forces. The Internal Security Forces quickly intervened on both days to contain the situation. Al-Jadeed TV said two people were “stabbed with knives” and rushed to hospitals and that calm has since been restored. In a statement, the LF media department accused an “agitated political group” of attempting to “distort the course of the electoral process” due to “students’ general mood, which is against its policies and practices.” “We were surprised this morning by the arrival of groups who don’t belong to the university, who were armed by sticks, knives, stones, sharp objects and flares and who sneaked through Ashrafieh’s streets, as if it was a combat arena, not an arena for education and culture,” the LF said. “They attacked the students in an attempt to scare them and intimidate them and to undermine the electoral process,” the LF added. It noted that security forces have so far arrested three of the attackers. Kataeb Party chief Sami Gemayel meanwhile tweeted that “the attack of Hizbullah members against USJ students proves how much this group does not respect democracy and the principle and outcome of elections.” “No wonder they reject early (parliamentary) elections and are seeking to torpedo any coming electoral juncture,” he added. Hizbullah’s educational department meanwhile issued a statement accusing some parties of exploiting the events through “stirring sectarian sentiments, shouting provocative slogans and attacking others, which might spark a sedition that no one wishes for except those seeking to ignite it.”“We call on the competent judicial and security authorities to address these regrettable incidents and we ask them to fully shoulder their responsibility in this regard,” the department added.


Retired Customs General who 'Served at Beirut Port' Found Dead
Naharnet/December 02, 2020
Retired customs brigadier general M. A. R. was on Wednesday found dead inside his home in Qartaba, Jbeil district, the National News Agency said. He suffered blows to the head from a sharp object, NNA added. Members of the criminal evidence department have since arrived at the site and launched investigations. Radio Voice of Lebanon (100.3-100.5) meanwhile reported that the general had went alone to his mountainside home. "As time went by and he had not returned, his wife called him but he did not answer," the radio network said. "She followed him and found the body inside the house," it added.The radio network also noted that the general used to serve at the blast-hit Beirut Port.


Araji Says Pivotal Meeting with World Bank on Drug Subsidies on Friday
Associated Press/December 02, 2020
Head of the Health Parliamentary Committee MP Assem Araji said Wednesday that a meeting with the World Bank is expected later this week to discuss the risks of stopping subsidies on medicines in Lebanon, in light of a mounting shortage of drugs. After declaring that foreign reserves are running low, and the Central Bank won't be able to keep up subsidies, including on drugs, concerns mount among Lebanese that prices of drugs would soar amid a sharp devaluation of the local currency. Araji said the “committee was unable to take any decision during its meeting today on whether” the least harmful decision was “to stop subsidies on all drugs or on specific ones.” The MP revealed that the Parliamentary Health Committee, based on his proposal, will hold an online video meeting on Friday with the World Bank, to demand continuation of drug support. “Otherwise the health institutions will collapse and the price of medicine will increase five-fold,” Araji warned. Officials and pharmacists say a shortage in medicines was exacerbated by panic buying and hoarding after the Central Bank governor said government won't be able to keep up subsidies on drugs, fuel and wheat.
Lebanese now scour the country and beyond for crucial medications. It’s the newest stage in the economic collapse of this country of 5 million, once a regional hub for banking, real estate and medical services. More than half the population has been pushed into poverty and people’s savings have lost value. Public debt is crippling, and the local currency plunged, losing nearly 80% of its value. The health sector is buckling under the financial strain and coronavirus pandemic.


Killer of Lebanon's Hariri to Be Sentenced on December 11

Agence France Presse/December 02, 2020
The killer of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri will be sentenced on December 11, the Netherlands-based tribunal that convicted him said, with prosecutors asking for a life sentence. The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicted Salim Ayyash, 57, of the 2005 murder but acquitted three others after a trial that ended on August 18. The four were alleged members of the Hizbullah and none turned up for the trial after Shiite movement's chief Hassan Nasrallah refused to hand them over. The court found that Ayyash, who is still on the run, led the team behind the suicide bombing that killed the Sunni billionaire politician and 21 other people in Beirut. Hariri served as Lebanon's prime minister until he resigned in October 2004. He was killed in February 2005 when a suicide bomber detonated a van filled with explosives as his armoured convoy drove past. As well as those killed, another 226 were wounded in the blast.

Beirut's elite don't know what to do with Lebanon besides loot it
Michael Young/The National/December 02/2020
مايكل يانغ/عرب نيوز: النخبة في لبنان لا تجيد غير نهب البلد
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/93214/michael-young-the-national-beiruts-elite-dont-know-what-to-do-with-lebanon-besides-loot-it-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%84-%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%ba-%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a8-%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%b2/

Lebanon has not had a fully functioning government since early August, when Prime Minister Hassan Diab submitted his resignation in the aftermath of the horrific explosion in Beirut port. Since then, he has served in a caretaker capacity. Meanwhile, Saad Hariri, a former prime minister, has attempted to form a government of his own after he was tasked with doing so by a majority of Parliament last October 22.
Mr Hariri has not progressed since then, mainly because of disagreements with President Michel Aoun and the President’s son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, over a number of portfolios, the size of the government and who will appoint Christian ministers. That Lebanon is sinking ever deeper into economic calamity seems to worry the politicians little as they continue to hold tightly to their own political demands. On the basis of this behaviour alone, to dismiss many of Lebanon’s political and financial leaders as a cartel of criminals would be not far from the truth. After having bankrupted the country through their decades of corruption, thereby robbing millions of citizens of their life savings, they continue to delay all efforts to introduce the reforms necessary to secure financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
There is a continuing debate over why Mr Hariri remains unable to form a government. Some insist the problems are external. The militant party Hezbollah, the main powerbroker in Lebanon, is allegedly unwilling to push Mr Aoun and Mr Bassil to compromise because it is waiting to see how the administration of US President-elect Joe Biden will deal with Lebanon once it takes office. Therefore, it prefers to preserve its alliance with both men by avoiding putting pressure on them.
Another version is that Mr Bassil seeks a third of the ministers in any new government, giving him leverage to obstruct all governmental action at the end of Mr Aoun’s term. By doing so, he could increase his pressure on parliamentary blocs to elect him as president to succeed his father in law. Mr Hariri rejects this. Such explanations may be true in part, but they don’t tell us why the Lebanese system is collapsing so ignominiously. The explanation is more prosaic: the country’s political cartel was able to act cohesively in the past because they all collaborated in pillaging the system. Now that the economy is collapsing, the politicians are divided and in disarray.
In a generalised atmosphere of recrimination, no one, not even Hezbollah, is really able to corral the politicians towards consensus. Division can serve Hezbollah in some ways, because a quarrelling political class is easier for it to control. But this also means havoc in the way the state is run, meaning the militant party could only enter into a conflict with Israel at grave domestic risk. The violent reaction against such a war from a suffering Lebanese population would be difficult to contain if the country’s sectarian political leaders are antagonistic towards one another.
Given the heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, Hezbollah’s main foreign sponsor, in the aftermath of the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist last week, Hezbollah cannot take this possibility lightly. Lebanon’s chaotic political atmosphere makes the party’s entry into a war highly unfavourable; but trying to impose an end to this situation by pressing for a compromise on the government may alienate leading political actors, such as Mr Aoun, whose support Hezbollah will need in the event of a conflict.
Beyond regional considerations, what does it say about Lebanon that it appears unable to have a cohesive leadership when political elites are unable to divvy up the national pie? It implies that outside of a context of official larceny, the politicians seem to have no notion of how to run the state.
That’s not surprising. When Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990, the post-war order was built on the wartime sectarian militia leaders, over whom a pragmatic businessman, Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri’s father, presided as prime minister. That order was orchestrated largely by Syria, which looted the revenues of the system with its political allies. The elder Mr Hariri understood that the only way he could advance his project to rebuild the country was to go along with this setup and ensure that everyone benefited.
Things worked while everyone was making money. However, by 2019 the strains on that system had become evident, as years of decline in capital inflows to Lebanon began undermining a financial sector that could no longer pay for government debt and expenditures. In October of last year, the system began to crumble, while the members of the political class struggled to preserve their shares in it.
This led them to turn against one another. They understood that reform was needed to preserve the corrupt order they had built. But, invariably, they wanted their political enemies to make the sacrifices, not themselves. Suddenly, politicians were accusing their rivals of corruption, portraying themselves as paragons of virtue, leading to a breakdown in the cartel’s unity. That is where Lebanon stands today. How the country can exit from its deadly impasse remains a mystery. Some might see advantages in the end of the politicians’ code of silence. But the problem is that this is perilous when Lebanon is a drifting ship approaching the reefs. Lebanon’s civil war years were a terrifying chapter in its history, but it is surprising that many Lebanese now find themselves saying that they were less objectionable than what prevails today.
*Michael Young is a senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut and a columnist for The National

Arabs Warn Biden: Do Not Embolden Hezbollah
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/December 02/2020
خالد ابو طعمة/معهد كايتستون: العرب يحذرون بايدن ويقولون له لا تشجع حزب الله
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/93202/khaled-abu-toameh-gatestone-institute-arabs-warn-biden-do-not-embolden-hezbollah-%d8%ae%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af-%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%88-%d8%b7%d8%b9%d9%85%d8%a9-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%aa/

The message they [nationals of Lebanon] are sending to a new US administration is: The Lebanese people are hoping that you will help them get rid of Hezbollah. Cozying up to Iran would further embolden Hezbollah and allow it to destroy Lebanon by turning it into an Iranian-controlled colony.
"The Lebanese people... are being held hostage today by a militia that is financed by Iran, whose weapons are coming from Iran, and even whose leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is stating clearly and publicly that he takes orders from Iran." — Samy Gemayel, leader of the Christian Kataeb Party, November 23, 2020.
"Hezbollah is the only party in Lebanon that has 20,000 soldiers on the ground.... it can do a lot to make our democracy totally fictive. Today, we are being treated as hostages, and therefore the international community must help us." — Samy Gemayel.
Rabi's expressed hope that Biden would refuse to follow the policies of former President Barack Obama toward Iran. "This mistake needs to be corrected," Rabi wrote, referring to Obama's policy of appeasement toward Iran. "Correcting it can only be done by adopting a policy different from the Obama policy."
The Lebanese and Arab warnings about a possible return to the nuclear deal with Iran and the resulting empowerment of Hezbollah need to be taken seriously by the new US administration. The Lebanese and Arabs are trying to tell Biden what they and the Trump administration have known for the past few years, namely, that Iran and its proxies -- such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis -- are poised to wreak havoc in the Middle East.
Lebanese and Arab warnings about a possible return to the nuclear deal with Iran and the resulting empowerment of Hezbollah need to be taken seriously. Pictured: A billboard with pictures of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini adorns a street in Ain Qana, Lebanon, as a Lebanese army convoy patrols.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon will be the first to celebrate if and when a Biden administration returns to the 2015 nuclear deal between the world superpowers and Iran.
Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, has called on Biden to give Iran more money and return to the nuclear deal. "Now, an opportunity has come up for the next US administration to compensate for past mistakes and return to the path of complying with international agreements through respect of international norms," Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Rouhani as saying.
In 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and has since reimposed sanctions on Iran that have crippled its economy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has also expressed hope that a Biden administration would reverse its current US policy. Zarif said on Twitter that "the world is watching" to see if a Biden administration will depart from Trump's approach toward Iran. "Deeds matter most," Zarif added.
Lebanese and Arab political analysts, politicians and journalists believe that a US return to the nuclear deal with Iran would ease pressure on Hezbollah, particularly the economic sanctions imposed on the organization's leaders and supporters. They believe that once the sanctions on Iran are lifted, it would be easier for the Iranians to continue funding Hezbollah which, they say, is responsible for the current economic and political crisis in Lebanon. According to Lebanese sources, Hezbollah is causing delays in the formation of a new Lebanese government.
Marc Saad, a representative of the Christian Lebanese Forces party, said that Hezbollah was looking to make sure that it would hold more than one-third of the ministerial portfolios, with foreign affairs and security under its control.
In the view of many Lebanese, their country's miseries can be alleviated only through increased international and local financial sanctions on Hezbollah, which functions as a state-within-a-state in Lebanon. Engaging with Hezbollah's patrons in Iran, they argue, will further embolden Hezbollah and exacerbate the crises Lebanon has been facing for the past few decades.
"Lebanon faces a grim reality," said Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib, a specialist in US-Arab relations and founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese non-governmental organization.
"The most difficult obstacle remains Hezbollah. It is backed by Iran and by the [Syrian] Assad regime; it is the most organized group, and is sufficiently armed to start a civil war in Lebanon [between Hezbollah and its opponents to achieve control over the Beirut government]. Unless the regional dynamics change, it will be close to impossible to outmaneuver Hezbollah. Hence, the crux of the matter boils down to the type of pressure that should be imposed on it and its patrons."
Khatib and other Lebanese nationals seem to be directing their words to a Biden administration. The message they are sending to a new US administration is: The Lebanese people are hoping that you will help them get rid of Hezbollah. Cozying up to Iran would further embolden Hezbollah and allow it to destroy Lebanon by turning it into an Iranian-controlled colony.
In another message apparently directed to a potential Biden administration and the international community, Samy Gemayel, leader of the Christian Kataeb Party, accused Hezbollah of controlling Lebanon's decision-making and said it was responsible for the country's "collapse":
"Since 2015, the total influence of Hezbollah and the mafia has been made over the Lebanese institutions. A deal between the corrupted ruling political class, the weapons and the militias of Hezbollah has led the country to the total collapse of its institutions and its economy...
"We do believe that Hezbollah's control over Lebanon's decision-making has led the country to a lot of sanctions and isolation from its historical friends such as the Arab countries, Europe, and the US...
"Today, the country is isolated internationally because a lot of governments consider it to be a proxy of Iran and a country that is controlled by Hezbollah. Hezbollah couldn't do that without the mafia's blessing that is benefiting from the system and is also corrupting it."
Gemayel pointed out that the Lebanese people have taken to the streets and "called for our country's liberation from any kind of control, especially from Iran and Hezbollah."
Gemayel expressed regret over the situation the Lebanese are currently facing and described it as the worst social and humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. "The Lebanese people are not surviving," he said.
"They are starving. If it was a normal situation, we would have been certainly against any kind of interference in Lebanon, but we have to take into consideration that Lebanon and the Lebanese people are being held hostage today by a militia that is financed by Iran, whose weapons are coming from Iran, and even whose leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is stating clearly and publicly that he takes orders from Iran."
He added that it was the responsibility of the international community to pressure Iran to stop supporting Hezbollah.
"Hezbollah is the only party in Lebanon that has 20,000 soldiers on the ground... It can threaten, it can use violence, it can do a lot to make our democracy totally fictive. Today, we are being treated as hostages, and therefore the international community must help us."
Lebanese journalist Jerry Maher also accused Hezbollah of causing "great disasters" to Lebanon and its people. "Hezbollah was will remain a terrorist organization," he remarked. "We can only find solutions to our crises by disarming Hezbollah and holding its leaders accountable for their terrorism in Syria, Yemen and Iraq."
Syrian journalist Abdul Jalil Al-Saeed expressed hope that the new US administration would not change its current policy toward Hezbollah. "The crisis in Lebanon is a regional crisis," he argued. Al-Saeed also said he was anxious for a Biden administration to oppose Hezbollah's participation in a new Lebanese government and continue to see the terror organization as "an armed gang that is completely affiliated with Iran."
Lebanese journalist Munir Al-Rabi noted that Hezbollah and Iran "view Biden's victory as a new area to breathe a sigh of relief." Hezbollah and Iran, he remarked, "are now convinced that the pressure on them will ease, and the Democrats will pursue a realistic policy with Tehran that revives the nuclear agreement."
Rabi said he hoped that Biden would refuse to take the same path as former President Barack Obama toward Iran. "This mistake needs to be corrected," Rabi wrote, referring to Obama's policy of appeasement toward Iran. "Correcting it can only be done by adopting a policy different from the Obama policy." Rabi added that even if Biden wants to return to the nuclear deal with Iran, he should not return to the same terms of the agreement reached under the Obama administration, meaning that if there is to be a new agreement, it should not be too soft on Iran.
The Lebanese and Arab warnings about a possible return to the nuclear deal with Iran and the resulting empowerment of Hezbollah need to be taken seriously by the new US administration. The Lebanese and Arabs are trying to tell Biden what they and the Trump administration have known for the past few years, namely, that Iran and its proxies -- such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis -- are poised to wreak havoc in the Middle East.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 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.
 

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 02- 03/2020

Hundreds of Syrian mercenaries return from Karabakh
The Arab Weekly/December 02/2020
LONDON--More than 900 pro-Turkish Syrian mercenaries have returned to Syria since the end of fighting in the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Wednesday.
Citing “reliable sources,” SOHR said new batches of Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries have returned to Syria after Turkey “failed so far to maintain them in Azerbaijan.”A November 9 truce ended more than a month of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Baku’s control in a war in the 1990s. Turkey has been accused of sending hundreds of Syrian mercenaries to fight alongside Azeri forces in the conflict, though Ankara has denied this. More than 2,580 Syrian combatants had been sent to back Baku in total, of whom 293 have died, according to the SOHR monitoring group. “More than 900 fighters from pro-Ankara factions have returned to Syria in several waves,” the latest on November 27, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The rest of the fighters were expected home in the coming days. Returning fighters went back to northern parts of war-torn Syria under control of pro-Turkey rebels, including Afrin, Jarabulus and Al-Bab, Abdel Rahman said. France in mid-November called on Russia, which brokered the ceasefire deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, to clear up related “ambiguities,” including over the return of foreign fighters. A French diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, at the time called the departure of foreign fighters deployed in the conflict “a fundamental element for stability in the region.”


Russia’s Putin praises Armenian prime minister for signing Nagorno-Karabakh deal
NNA/AFP/December 02/2020
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “courage” in agreeing to a peace deal over Nagorno-Karabakh that triggered a backlash against the leader at home. Armenia signed a Russian-brokered accord with Azerbaijan on November 9 after six weeks of heavy fighting over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the deal, Armenia ceded three districts around the ethnic Armenian enclave in addition to four others that Azerbaijani forces reclaimed during the fighting. Speaking during a videoconference meeting of the leaders of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty organization (CSTO), Putin called Pashinyan’s decisions surrounding the ending of the conflict “necessary” but “painful.” “They required a lot of personal courage on the part of the prime minister,” Putin said. “Our task now is to support both the prime minister and his team in order to ensure peace,” he added. The Russian leader’s show of support for Pashinyan came as the Armenian prime minister faces pressure at home. Since the announcement of the peace deal — which leaves Karabakh’s future political status in limbo — protesters have regularly taken to the streets of the Armenian capital Yerevan. Demonstrators have branded Pashinyan a “traitor” for agreeing to the deal and have demanded his resignation. The Armenian authorities last month said they had thwarted a plot to assassinate the prime minister. Pashinyan, whose wife and son were at the front during the conflict, has said the peace deal was Armenia’s only option and that it ensured Karabakh’s survival. Even though the disputed region lost swathes of territory, it will see its future guaranteed by nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to be deployed for a renewable five-year mandate.

WHO recommends wearing masks indoors if ventilation is poor
NNA /Reuters/December 02/2020
People living in areas with where COVID-19 is spreading should always wear masks in shops, workplaces and schools that lack adequate ventilation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. If they cannot maintain physical distancing of at least one meter (3 ft), people in those indoor locations — including children and students aged 12 or over — should also wear a mask even if the spaces are well ventilated, it said in a tightening of its guidelines. They should also wear masks outdoors if physical distancing cannot be maintained, it said. WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the recommendations were among the biggest changes to its guidance on mask-wearing, and updated advice from June. “If indoors, unless ventilation has been assessed to be adequate, WHO advises that the general public should wear a non-medical mask, regardless of whether physical distancing of at least 1 meter can be maintained,” the WHO said. It also advised “universal masking” in all health care facilities including in common areas such as cafeterias and staff rooms.
Health workers could wear N95 masks if available when caring for COVID-19 patients, but the only proven protection is when they are doing aerosol-generating procedures, the WHO said.
 

Israel Gets New Missile Boat as Iran Tensions Surge
Agence France Presse/December 02/2020
Israel received the first of its new missile boats on Wednesday, with a top naval officer telling AFP the fleet upgrade "dramatically" improves the Israeli ability to counter regional rivals, including Iran. The procurement of four naval vessels and three submarines from German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp has been the subject of long-running corruption probes involving top allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But graft allegations aside, the ships themselves form a key part of a major Israeli naval upgrade, Israel's head of naval operations, Rear Admiral Eyal Harel, said in an interview last week. Harel said the new fleet would bolster the navy's capacity to defend increasingly lucrative offshore natural gas assets from rivals like Lebanon's Hizbullah, which receives backing from Iran. According to Harel, Israel's offshore rigs "are the main objective on the Hizbullah target list for the next war." The vessels -- Saar 6-class corvettes -- are equipped with "the (most) sophisticated radar on board any vessel in the world," he said.
The first Saar 6, the INS Magen, arrived at Haifa's port on Wednesday.
Strike Iran?
According to a September article by the Center for International Maritime Security, a Washington-based think-tank, the ships and new submarines will enhance Israel's capacity to launch a direct strike on Iran. Concern about Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program is constant in Israel, but tensions between Israel and the Islamic republic have spiked again. Iran has accused Israel of assassinating one of its leading nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, outside Tehran last week. Israeli officials have declined to comment on the allegations. Israel is also concerned about U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's stated goal of reviving the nuclear deal agreed between Tehran and world powers in 2015. President Donald Trump scrapped that deal, earning widespread cheers in Israel. Asked if the Saar 6 will enable Israel to strike Iran directly from the Mediterranean Sea, Harel said: "Directly to Iran is a complicated question and it is not for this interview." But he said the ships will help counter the Iranian threat more broadly as "Iran is the main sponsor of Hizbullah." The corruption allegations surrounding the naval procurement, known locally as "the submarine affair" returned to the headlines last month when Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced a new inquiry. Netanyahu is not accused of wrongdoing in the case, but several of his close associates are suspected for financial impropriety in the procurement process. Gantz said this week he would pause his inquiry at the request of the attorney general, who is conducting his own probe.

Israeli Knesset takes step towards new elections amid disunity
The Arab Weekly/December 02/2020
JERUSALEM— Israel took a major step toward plunging into its fourth national election in under two years on Wednesday as lawmakers — supported by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner — passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve parliament. The 61-54 vote came just seven months after the coalition took office in a declaration of national unity to confront the coronavirus crisis. But since then, the alliance between Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White has been locked in infighting. The vote gave only preliminary approval to ending the alliance and forcing a new election early next year. The legislation now heads to a committee before parliament as a whole takes up final approval, perhaps as soon as next week. In the meantime, Gantz and Netanyahu are expected to continue negotiations in a last-ditch attempt to preserve their troubled alliance.
By joining the opposition in Wednesday’s vote, Gantz’s party voiced its dissatisfaction with Netanyahu, accusing him of putting his own personal interests ahead of those of the country. Netanyahu is on trial for a series of corruption charges, and Gantz accuses the prime minister of hindering key governmental work, including the passage of a national budget, in hopes of stalling or overturning the legal proceedings against him. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party voted for new elections, accused the government of gross mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout. He said the one thing all citizens share is “the feeling that they lost control over their lives.”The government still has not yet passed a budget for 2020, a result of the deep divisions produced by its power-sharing agreement. The lack of budget has caused severe hardships and cutbacks for Israelis at a time when unemployment is estimated at over 20% because of the pandemic. Israel has gone through two nationwide lockdowns since March, and officials are already warning that rising infections could result in a return to strict restrictions that were only recently lifted. If a budget for 2020 isn’t passed by Dec. 23, Israeli law stipulates an automatic dissolution of parliament and new elections. Under the coalition deal, Netanyahu is to serve as prime minister until November 2021, with the job rotating to Gantz for 18 months after that. The only way Netanyahu can hold onto his seat and get out of that agreement is if a budget doesn’t pass. Gantz appears to have concluded that elections are inevitable and the sooner they are held, the better. By advancing the election to early next year, he seems to be banking that Netanyahu will be punished by voters for a still-raging pandemic and struggling economy. Netanyahu, on the other hand, would benefit by dragging out budget talks and delaying elections to later in the year in hopes that a vaccine will arrive and the economy will begin to recover.

 

UAE expects 'warm peace' and progress with Israel and Palestinians
Jerusalem Post/December 02/2020
The United Arab Emirates values the warm peace that is emerging with Israel. It also expects to see progress in negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. “While US involvement remains and international processes continue, if both sides do not sit down and talk about this, then we will have a long period of regional uncertainty,” said Jamal al-Musharakh, director of the UAE Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry’s Policy Planning Department, in an interview.  The peace agreement with the UAE has seen rapid expansion of ties in the past weeks, especially on the economic front. Tourism is expected to grow in the coming months. The initiative to move forward on normalizing ties with Israel has always had multiple angles for the Emirates. Among these is the importance of stability in the region. That means stability in institutions in places where conflict and instability have been a concern, such as Yemen, Libya and Syria.  Musharakh says that people in these countries should be able to have their “grievances addressed by their own governments rather than relying on an outside government with ill intentions.”The UAE’s foreign policy team, including Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba and Hend al-Otaiba, director of strategic communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have both said in recent interviews and articles how the peace deal came about in recent weeks. At the online Jewish magazine Tablet, Hend wrote that “we were certain that Israeli annexation would kill the two-state solution once and for all. So we acted fast, offering normalization of ties, in exchange for a stop to annexation.” Musharakh said that “the Abraham Accords came at a very unique time during the beginning of a new decade when the global focus has been on countering the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Abraham Accords came about, it surprised the region and the international community. The impact has been a positive one, and the reactions that we have received were expected.”This represents a paradigm shift when it comes to how the region is viewed, he noted. It benefits the entire region and is underpinned with investment and tourism. “This understanding can make a huge impact because we lived next to each other for so long without knowing much about each other,” Musharakh said. “The UAE has developed the concepts of tolerance, cooperation, partnership and coexistence, as we are a year away from our 50th anniversary,” he said. “This has always been a topic at the forefront of the international agenda, and so this prospect is a positive step to change the image of Israel to the Arabs and the UAE, and vice versa.”As part of this wider strategic vision, the Emirates has strategic partnerships with countries in Europe, as well as dialogues with the US and India. “For instance, we have a strategic relationship with Russia and the US and China,” he noted. “It’s really about showing that the UAE is the country that would partner with other countries to the benefit of the international community, not simply the two countries involved.”
This is important since it relates to the emerging ties between Israel and the UAE – because it is about a collective benefit to the region. “It’s about the long-term vision, not immediate quick wins. It’s about a vision against extremist views and interference.”The UAE expects that a “warm peace” will emerge because Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi have no history of disputes. However, while the accords benefit the region, the issue of peace with the Palestinians and Israel is important as well. And Musharakh indicated that the Emirates wants to play a positive role in any way going forward.
“It is important to elevate this vision of non-isolation and see progress in negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis,” he said. “This will show that there is hope to move forward, and at the end of the day, it is on them to find a resolution to the underlying cause in the region.

Israel celebrates UAE’s National Day amid new peace joy
Jerusalem Post/December 02/2020
Israelis sent greetings to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as the Gulf country celebrates its national day. It was an important message of peace, many said, reaching out to their neighbors in the region. It comes after an unprecedented month of visits, delegations, business deals and rapid expansion of flights. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the first commercial flydubai flight, and this week he wished well the pilots of the first Israir flight going to Dubai. Some 50,000 people may make the trip this month on an estimated 300 flights, with some 60-100 flights a week being considered in the coming weeks and months. The extraordinary expansion of this new trade and tourism route is blended with new messages of peace being put out by religious and cultural leaders. This will include new initiatives for museums and cultural centers, academic partnerships and coexistence.
The bridge is not only with Dubai and the UAE, but also with Bahrain, whose minister of industry, trade and tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, came on Tuesday with 40 members of a delegation that will stay for several days. He met his Israeli counterparts. His visit followed the one by Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani, who came in the middle of November.  Netanyahu sent a greeting to His Highness, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday. He reached out to “new friends” and wished a joyous national day to the Emirates. He pointed to this as part of the fruits of peace and said it showed that the region could create a better future. At the same time, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum also wrote about how she is looking forward to a future of friendship. Tel Aviv posted photos and celebrated with the UAE. Key figures in the pro-Israel community, such as Michael Dickson of StandWithUS, posted about the national day. Public relations professional Avi Hyman wrote that he wishes his Emirati friends a happy national day. Lorena Khateeb from Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted a video of Israelis singing the UAE national anthem. Emily Schrader of Social Lite Creative also posted celebrating the day. The outpouring of celebrations for another country’s national day is almost unprecedented in Israel. With the exception perhaps of the United States, few countries enjoy such widespread support on social media in the Jewish state. Israel’s digital diplomacy and strategic affairs experts have pushed a campaign to showcase the new peace deals, and the support and recognition for the national day are fruits of it. It joins a massive buzz online for trips to Dubai, as well as various Facebook groups popping up that are devoted to every niche of trade that might be possible between Israel and the Emirates.

Bahraini minister: We will make peace with Israel a success story
Jerusalem Post/December 02/2020
Israel and Bahrain are working to quickly bring the normalization of their ties to fruition, Bahraini Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani said in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Al Zayani said “the whole world is watching, and we are determined to make this a success story and a case study for others.” The Bahraini minister led the first-ever trade delegation from his country to Israel, since normalization was announced in September. He arrived on Tuesday with 40 government officials and businesspeople. Israel and Bahrain signed agreements to cooperate in tourism and culture during Al Zayani’s visit. Al Zayani met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi on Wednesday.Peace between Bahrain and Israel “leaves this world a better place for future generations than the one we inherited,” he told Netanyahu. “Peace has been signed, the foundation has been laid. It is now upon us…to move forward and forge peace by having direct, constant integration between business communities, which we believe will filter down to the common citizen.”“We are genuine about this and fully committed…We’re moving at quite a fast pace because we want to catch up on lost time,” Al Zayani said. The Israeli and Bahraini economies are diverse with many opportunities for synergy to improve citizens’ lives, the minister told Ashkenazi. Al Zayani said he is “eager” for direct flights between Bahrain and Tel Aviv to begin, and as such, Gulf Air CEO Waleed Al Alawi is a member of the delegation as is Association of Bahrain Travel and Tour Agents Chairman Jehad Amin. Netanyahu said peace between Israel and Bahrain is being realized “because of the courageous decision made by [Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isal Al Khalifa] and because of the extraordinary energy and initiative of Bahrainis and Israelis who are eager to raise one another up, get to know one another and do business with one another.” The prime minister hailed the economic benefits of “real peace,” and expressed hope that those successes will lead more countries to want to normalize relations with Israel.
Netanyahu and Al Zayani also discussed the news that the UK approved Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, and the Bahraini minister said he had already received two doses of an inoculation against COVID-19. “Health, peace and prosperity,” Netanyahu said. “You could ask for nothing more.”Ashkenazi spoke of the importance of peace, saying that as someone who spent decades in the IDF, becoming its chief of staff, he is “fully aware of the price of the alternative.” “I am happy and proud and privileged that during the time I am serving as foreign minister of Israel we are seeing the beginning of change in the region and bringing peace,” he said. “We have a desire to promote change in the Middle East, change that brings with it peace, stability, security and economic prosperity,” Ashkenazi said. “There are many, many more collaborations to come.”
Economy Minister Amir Peretz and Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen greeted Al Zayani on his arrival in Israel on Tuesday. Farkash-Hacohen told The Jerusalem Post that the visiting minister is going to “meet all the people in the Israeli tourism sector” and spoke about upcoming “joint tourism packages.”
"Tens of thousands of tourists" will arrive from the UAE and Bahrain to Israel, Farkash-Hacohen said.
*Hagay Hacohen contributed to this report.

 

Trump reportedly loosens reins on punishing Iran
Paper: Trump 'gives officials carte blanche to squeeze and punish Islamic Republic as aggressively as they wish.'
Arutz Sheva/December 02/2020
The Daily Beast says President Donald Trump has given his top advisors "the green light to batter the Iranian regime—anything that doesn’t hazard a full-on war before Joe Biden is inaugurated." Citing "multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter", the paper claims Trump has recently taken a more passive role in Iran policy. According to the Beast, President Trump has given administration officials "carte blanche to squeeze and punish the Islamic Republic as aggressively as they wish in the coming weeks. All Trump asks is that they don’t risk 'start[ing] World War III,' as the President has specifically put it in several private conversations with Pompeo and others, according to two senior administration officials."Two officials who spoke to the Daily Beast said the administration is set to announce new sanctions on regime-linked companies and individuals in the coming weeks to solidify a years-long effort to paralyze Tehran’s economy.

Egypt mulls prospects of relations with Israel before Netanyahu visit
The Arab Weekly/December 02/2020
Egypt joins new normalisation track but keeps Palestinian card in hand.
CAIRO--Egypt is adopting a compromise solution in dealing with the Palestinian issue that combines both keeping a certain distance from the new frameworks for normalisation with Israel and reviving the traditional political settlement process based on international legality. In both cases, Cairo hopes to preserve a central role for itself in any future developments. Indications of Egyptian interaction with the normalisation file emerged through revelations in Israeli media, on Monday, about an upcoming visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in the coming weeks. The Jerusalem Post and Maariv newspapers indicated that the focus of the talks will be on economic issues, and that they will be followed by a meeting between economic delegations. They confirmed that officials from the two countries are currently holding “talks before Netanyahu’s official visit to Cairo.” Cairo’s choosing of the traditional settlement process was reflected by the contacts that took place between Cairo and Amman with the Palestinian Authority, after a period of suspension, and in the agreement to establish a joint committee that pushes for the convening of an international peace conference next year, to revive discussion of two-state solution ideas.
This approach is likely to fit the positions of the new US President Joe Biden, and may find a positive echo with his administration. The Democrats are said to be resentful of the many actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration in the region and the world, including his stances on the Palestinian issue.
Analysts say that Cairo was not comfortable with the rapid pace of developments in relations between Israel and some Arab countries on the basis of the so-called “Abraham Accords”. The moves were eroding any substance to the normalisation process with Israel as a strategic card in the hands of Egypt.
Egypt has frozen part of its relations with Israel, and has not allowed these relations to evolve into a form of “normalcy” during the four decades since the signing of the peace treaty with Israel. Furthermore, it has found in the popular rejection of the notion of ​​normalisation with Israel a reason to keep a good margin of manoeuvre at times. Losing this card then, or at least incurring the risk of the fraying of its Arab and Egyptian influence, would constitute a test for Cairo. Either it continues in its reluctance to developing relations with Israel and reap popular support in this regard, or it keeps pace with the current developments and reserves a seat in the new normalisation train. Observers point out that the current version of normalisation with Israel goes beyond popular sentiments and playing on them for political gain. They see it now instead as part of a large regional project that can grow and expand, and whoever joins it will become part of it, and whoever stays behind must live with that strategic choice. Because the Palestinian issue is an important focus in this project, Cairo thinks it has found an appropriate formula to interact with it cautiously. While going through the motion of welcoming the Arab peace agreements with Israel, it remained wary of its consequences on its regional role. Netanyahu’s visit to Cairo would be an indication of Egypt’s openness to the new normalisation process, especially since the information published by Maariv emphasised the economic nature of the visit. But this will not be without future geopolitical consequences.
Egyptian sources revealed to The Arab Weekly that the crisis lies in the expected transformations in the region and Cairo’s position in that framework, as it is the first Arab country to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. It has incurred a heavy price for it when most Arab countries decided to boycott it. But now, Egypt is not sure of its future position on this file any more. The same sources added that the war option has vanished from the Arab agenda, and now room is available for peace to rise with all the consequences it implies. Cairo will not be able to play an influential role in its Arab environment or at the level of the Palestinian issue unless it participates in the new equation.
Practical course
Analysts says it is in the interest of the Arab countries involved in normalisation and Israel to cooperate and coordinate with Cairo, and to have it on board in the same boat with them, as its presence gives good political legitimacy to the idea. They see Cairo as the one country next door to Israel that can contend with the project. Egypt’s approach follows a practical course in dealing with regional and international developments. Cairo has reaped great benefits from adopting such an approach and avoided problems during its transition period when it was busy reorganising state structures after the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule. This approach has also enabled Cairo to establish balanced relations with many powers. Observers confirm that there is no problem in relations with Israel and the pursuit of the normalisation process. The problem lies however in the place that Egypt would occupy in the next order yet to emerge, in proportion to its size and pivotal role in the region. Cairo seems to trying to maximise this role through consultations with Arab countries concerned with normalisation, to form a safety net for everyone, so that Israel is not the only victor in the upcoming political and economic battle.
Cairo’s reviving of its contacts with the Palestinian Authority and Jordan came as another safety net in which the three parties find common interest. Egypt’s influence could be strengthened in the two paths, both of which are not clear at the moment, as the region is going through a blur regarding the fate of most regional issues. The Egyptian approach involves working in parallel on both tracks. Such a method confirms the difficulty of choosing, or even the lack of choices in the first place, as it is no longer a luxury to miss the train of normalisation, and it is difficult to wait until the political settlement process moves through an international conference.
Cairo shows a cautious stance towards the first track of normalisation without declaring outright rejection, and a great responsiveness to the second track of political settlement as a means of ensuring its presence and preserving its influence.
Expert on Palestinian and Israeli affairs, Ahmed Fouad Anwar, said that Cairo always tends to wait in its actions. It avoids venturing out on issues that are characterised by a high degree of fluidity and controlled by several parties. But it will not accept to have its role side-stepped, because the paths of normalisation and settlement touch upon a strategic axis related to the centrality of its role in the Palestinian file, believes Anwar. He added to The Arab Weekly that there was still a long way to go before one could see any results assuming that there won’t be a conflict between the two paths, which is the formula that is satisfactory to Egypt and the Arab countries in support of normalisation, because resolving the contradiction between Arab obligations towards the Palestinian cause and regional developments is a very important goal.
Cairo is working to find an appropriate formula to solve this crisis through its multiple talks with the concerned parties, in order to achieve the best outcomes and reduce Arab losses.

Biden Eyes Swift New Iran Talks after Nuclear Deal Return
Agence France Presse/December 02/2020
President-elect Joe Biden will seek swift negotiations over new demands on Iran as soon as the U.S. returns to the Iran nuclear deal, The New York Times said Wednesday. Biden, in an interview with the paper, said "it's going to be hard," but if Iran returned to compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations. The Times said the Biden administration would seek to extend the duration of restrictions on Iran's production of fissile material that could be used to make a nuclear bomb. Iran would also have to address its regional activities through proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen in the talks that Biden team has suggested could include its Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia, the Times said. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and has reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign against the U.S.' arch enemy. Biden, who defeated Trump at the ballot box last month, said during campaigning that he intends to offer Iran a "credible path back to diplomacy". "There's a lot of talk about precision missiles and all range of other things that are destabilizing the region," Biden told the Times.
But, he added, "the best way to achieve getting some stability in the region" was to deal "with the nuclear program." Biden warned that if Iran acquired a bomb, it would spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, "and the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability."
"In consultation with our allies and partners, we're going to engage in negotiations and follow-on agreements to tighten and lengthen Iran's nuclear constraints, as well as address the missile program," he told the Times. Biden said that the United States always had the option to snap back international sanctions if need be, and that Iran knew that. The 2015 nuclear deal -- known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA -- gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program. In response to Trump's withdrawal, the Islamic republic has retaliated by rolling back most of its key commitments to the accord. Iran's government has offered a cautious welcome to Biden's victory, but conservatives have accused it of yielding to what they say is an "illusion" of a change by the "Great Satan" of America.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 02- 03/2020

L’audit juridique approuvé par 90 députés n’a aucune force contraignante et reflète la faillite et l’incapacité de tenir les personnes corrompues responsable
Par Abdel Hamid El Ahdab, Avocat/December 02/2020
« Les comptes de la Banque du Liban, des ministères, des services indépendants, des conseils, des fonds et des institutions publiques font l’objet d’un audit juridique sans aucune entrave ou prétexte relatif au secret bancaire ou autre. »
C’est la décision relative à la recommandation émise et votée par 90 députés en réponse à la lettre du président Aoun portant sur l’audit juridique, mais qui n’a pas été promulguée en loi car la promulgation des lois a commencé après ladite décision avec la loi relative aux victimes de l’explosion du port de Beyrouth. C’est une décision qui n’est pas publiée à la Gazette officielle et sur laquelle n’est affixée ni la signature du président de la république ni la signature du premier ministre. En fait, ce n’est qu’une simple recommandation émise par 90 députés ou, plus précisément, un simple communiqué similaire à ceux émis par les associations et les partis pour exprimer leur opinion, sans qu’il ait une force contraignante dans le sens juridique. Ce communiqué n’a aucun effet sur le secret bancaire car l’abrogation ou la modification d’une loi se fait par une loi et non par un communiqué ! Ce communiqué est dépourvu de toute force, même morale, et de ce fait, ne s’impose pas aux institutions qui y figurent. La force morale dérive de l’intégrité morale de ceux qui l’ont émis. Or, ces derniers sont la classe dirigeante qui, comme tout le monde le confirme, est une classe corrompue… à l’exception de quelques députés parmi ces 90, auxquels s’ajoutent quelques anciens ministres et directeurs généraux !
Le député de Zahlé, Michel Daher, décrivit la session du « communiqué relatif à la recommandation » de « la déclaration de la faillite et l’incapacité de tenir les personnes corrompues responsable ». C’est la meilleure description qui puisse être donnée à l’absence de la force « morale » du communiqué !
Cette description est précise car la classe dirigeante n’est pas idiote en émettant un tel communiqué ! Tout au contraire, elle essaie de tromper les gens. C’est elle qui a pillé cent milliard de dollars des coffres de l’Etat, de la banque centrale, des institutions et des conseils, etc. et n’est pas prête à autoriser l’audit juridique qui montrera clairement comment et qui a pillé les fonds de l’Etat et moyennant quelle méthode.
Ce communiqué est une déclaration de la faillite et de l’incapacité de tenir les personnes corrompues responsable. Il n’a aucune force légale ou morale et n’est pas contraignant.
Pourquoi ?
Parce que la seule provision relative aux décisions et aux recommandations figure dans l’Article 87 du Règlement intérieur de la Chambre des députés, étant « Les recommandations, décisions et autres sujets ne figurant pas dans les articles précédents seront votés à main levée ».
De même, aucune provision n’y figure portant sur la force contraignante de ces décisions et recommandations.
Il convient de noter ici qu’il existe des lois toujours en vigueur qui prévalent sur et qui sont en contradiction avec la décision émise par la Chambre des députés, plus spécifiquement la Loi sur le secret bancaire et le Code de la monnaie et du crédit, plus particulièrement son Article 151.
La recommandation qui fut émise par la Chambre des députés n’a aucun effet législatif vu qu’une proposition portant sur le contenu de la recommandation doit être soumise afin qu’elle soit approuvée avant qu’elle ne soit une loi qui entre en vigueur. Ce n’est qu’alors que l’on pourra dire que l’audit juridique est devenu contraignant.
Le gouverneur de la banque centrale doit émettre un communiqué pour dire que « vu le communiqué portant sur la faillite et l’incapacité de tenir les personnes corrompues responsable émis par 90 députés de la classe dirigeante, nous déclarons que le secret bancaire qui est juridiquement contraignant est un obstacle entravant tout audit juridique que vous demandez ! »
Dans ces heures difficiles où le Liban rend son dernier souffle, les 90 députés auraient dû observer une minute de silence et non de faire cette comédie…
Ce n’est pas le temps des comédies !

 

The Cold War with China has begun
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/December 02/202
Not long before a virus born in China began spreading around the globe, destroying lives, devastating economies and, oh yes, shutting down the Washington social scene, I attended an elegant, off-the-record dinner hosted by a well-funded think tank of the libertarian persuasion.
The guest of honor, a senior figure in the Trump administration, excused himself before dessert, citing pressing matters of state. At that point, a distinguished professor from a prestigious university held forth, posing a question to those around the table: “Who here is in favor of starting a new Cold War with China?”
Scattered chuckles but no other responses followed, so I chimed in: “With respect, Professor, that horse has left the barn. China has been waging a Cold War against America for years. The current administration has recognized that reality and outlined a response, notably in the National Security Strategy. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you do so soonest.”
The ensuing conversation was lively — OK, maybe it was acrimonious. But over the months since, it’s become increasingly clear that I was right, and the distinguished professor from a prestigious university was wrong. Abundant evidence in support of this conclusion is presented in “The Elements of the China Challenge,” a 50-page document (with 22 pages of footnotes) issued last month by the Policy Planning Staff of the Office of the Secretary of State.
A word about Policy Planning: This is the State Department’s fabled in-house think tank, first headed by George Kennan, whose 1946 “Long Telegram” provided a conceptual framework for American strategies and policies in what we now might think of as Cold War I.
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien calls the two documents “similar,” noting two differences: “First, unlike Kennan’s case, written by an envoy at post [Moscow], this book contains the words and policies of the President and his most senior officials. Second, given China’s population size, economic prowess, and historic global ambitions, the People’s Republic of China is a more capable competitor than the Soviet Union at its height.”
For decades, the foreign policy elite held to theory that as China grew wealthier, it would inevitably liberalize, becoming a responsible stakeholder in the “American-led liberal rules-based international order.” Key figures in the Trump administration — including National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Nadia Schadlow, Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger (a China expert and fluent Mandarin-speaker), and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — perceived that this theory had proven incorrect.

The End of Arab Nationalism
Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD/December 02/2020
How the Abraham Accords put the final nail in the coffin of a bad idea.
When last summer the Trump administration brokered the Abraham Accords—a peace agreement between Israel and the two Gulf states of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates—much commentary focused on their immediate causes, particularly the signatories’ shared fear of Iran. Reports of a recent face-to-face meeting in Saudi Arabia between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will only reaffirm that explanation.
Yet the historic character of the accords lies elsewhere. The accords recognize the Jewish and Arab people’s common ancestry in the region, accepting that Jews as a people and their faith are indigenous to the Middle East and have a legitimate right to be there. This affirmation discards two central tenets of Arab nationalism: the inherent rejection of a Jewish state as an alien, colonialist presence in the region and the idea that Arab-Israeli peace must defer to Palestinian grievances. The affirmation thus marks the end of Arab nationalism. Henceforth, the Arab countries that join the accords signal that they intend to pursue their national interest and seek alliances with the Jewish state, each on their own terms and without the need of a pan-Arab strategy.
Proximate causes, to be sure, matter. After all, it was President Jimmy Carter’s misguided foreign policy in the Middle East—alongside Israeli intelligence’s tipping off of Egypt’s president, Anwar Sadat, of a Libyan assassination plot against him—that propitiated Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem in November 1977. His trip set off direct bilateral peace talks that would culminate in the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty. But those events simply flicked a switch. Peace ensued not only because strategic interests suddenly aligned, but because worldviews turned upside down.
The same can be said of the Abraham Accords. Common cause against an ascendant Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and radical Islam have driven Gulf countries closer to Israel. So has the desire to leverage full peace against Israel’s avowed intention to annex portions of the West Bank earlier this year. And no doubt, the election of Joe Biden as the next U.S. president raises the possibility that the United States will rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a move both Arab countries and Israel firmly oppose. Both enthusiasts and detractors of the accords have mostly focused on these catalysts of historical change rather than recognize that a paradigm shift has emerged as a result of long-term trends.
The recognition that the Arab and Jewish peoples share the common ancestry of the biblical patriarch Abraham and that as such they are both indigenous to the region represents an epochal change, the polar opposite of what Arab nationalism posited. The late George Antonius, the author of a seminal 1939 study of Arab nationalism, The Arab Awakening, clearly defined Arabs as “any citizen of that extensive Arab world—not any inhabitant of it, but that great majority whose racial descent, even when it was not of pure Arab lineage, had become submerged in the tide of arabisation; whose manners and traditions had been shaped in an Arab mould; and most decisive of all, whose mother tongue is Arabic. The term applies to Christians as well as to Moslems, the criterion being not islamisation but the degree of arabisation.” (Emphasis mine.) There were no Jews inside this space.
Arab nationalism, from its inception, engaged both Christian and Muslim intellectuals. It sought to transcend Islam as the basis for political allegiance to and membership in the nation. But it never seriously entertained the possibility that Jews, of which there were many across Arab lands, had any part in the project. Antonius was writing at the time of the Great Arab Revolt, which pitched the Arab national movement against the Jews, convulsing the British Mandate in Palestine between 1936 and 1939. These developments aligned Arab nationalists with European fascism and its ideological lure, which included a paranoid, conspiracy-minded hatred for Jews. The exclusion of Jews from the Arab nationalist project was final and absolute. They were a foreign implant that did not belong in the region.
Such venomous rejection is evident in the period’s writings of Arab nationalist ideologues, like Michel Aflaq, one of the founders of the Baath party, the champion of Arab nationalism in the Levant and Mesopotamia. Thundering against Zionism in 1946, Aflaq called it an economic invasion motivated by material greed and a religious invasion comparable to the crusades. For Aflaq, Zionism, much like Nazism’s view of the Jews, was a tool of Western imperialism and plutocracy—a dagger planted in the heart of the Arab world, designed to divide and weaken it. Unsurprisingly, Jews fled Arab countries almost overnight. Communities that for centuries had lived under Arab rule lost everything and became refugees—their safety under the yoke of Arab nationalism even more precarious than when it was subjected to the Sultan’s caprices.
The rejection of Jews as indigenous inhabitants of the region was also central to Palestinian nationalism. The Palestinian Liberation Organization charter stipulated that Zionism was a colonialist implant and its beneficiaries had no right to remain once victorious armies restored Arab control over the land. The Jews just did not belong. And the rhetoric denying the Jewish national project any legitimacy has continued unabated to this day in some quarters of Palestinian nationalism and among the relics of Arab nationalism in Damascus. Such rhetoric has constituted an article of faith for all Islamists, from the Muslim Brotherhood to the Salafist movements.
To be sure, Arab nationalism ebbed and flowed, without ever defeating Israel, let alone uniting the lands it claimed as its own. It was almost as if Palestine had become the only matter Arab leaders could agree on, and then not always. Discord in the 1950s led to the Arab Cold War. Egypt’s pan-Arab ambitions under Gamal Abdel Nasser won acolytes but failed to make inroads as a political project, as the short-lived Syrian-Egyptian union of 1958-1961 shows. Nasser’s efforts to undermine other rulers invariably backfired.
War in Yemen and Israel’s devastating 1967 victory over Arab armies further undermined Arab nationalism as a mobilizing force, as much as the Suez crisis and the Algerian war offered pride and hope. The 1967 war marked an inflection point for Arab nationalism, with Jordan’s King Hussein pointing his guns on Palestinian fighters merely three years later, and Egypt and Syria pursuing limited territorial gains, rather than a genocidal war of annihilation against Israel, in 1973 (which Jordan sat out). The 1967 war also marked the beginning of the ascendance of Islamism, a force first born out of the desire to countenance the secular appeal of Arab nationalism in the 1920s but hardly more inclusive. Yet the cause of Palestine, which rallied nationalists from the start, continued to hold regional governments to ransom, forcing them to prioritize the struggle against Israel or delay normalization, even when these actions clearly ran counter to their interests.
Even as Arab consensus began to crack when Egypt broke ranks and chose to negotiate a separate peace with Israel in 1977, the pull of Palestine as a pan-Arab cause remained ascendant. The Arab boycott of Israel’s economy continued. Even Egypt, now a pariah in the Arab world, made it clear that its peace would be cold. When Arab countries rallied behind Kuwait and against Saddam Hussein in 1990, they made their support for U.S. military intervention to restore Kuwaiti sovereignty conditional upon a Western commitment to solve the Palestinian cause once Saddam had been cut to size.
The peace process that emerged from the Gulf War was predicated by the same old adage. The Palestinian cause was the region’s Gordian knot—not other ailments such as authoritarianism, oppression of women and minorities, dysfunctional economies, and an exploding demography of a discontented youth. Israel could aspire to normalization with the Arab world only after the Jewish state restored Palestinian rights.
Solving the Palestine question became the magic wand that would make all problems go away. Besides, the begrudging acceptance of Israel’s presence in the region did not hold a promise of full legitimacy. When the Oslo accords were announced in 1993 and Jordan rushed to sign its own peace agreement with Israel, only a handful of countries followed—Qatar, Oman, and Tunisia—and only by opening commercial offices and low-level representations without full diplomatic ties established, all to be rolled back when Oslo collapsed and the Second Intifada began.
For a time, even 9/11 seemed not to have made a dent. No doubt under pressure from its nationals’ involvement in the atrocity, Saudi Arabia sought to interject itself in the peace process by launching the Arab Peace Initiative. The proposal was a world apart from the post-1967 Arab League Khartoum summit, where Arab countries had unanimously rejected any recognition of Israel and recommitted to an uncompromising struggle. Regardless, it still held on to the idea that normalization could follow only the establishment of a Palestinian state and was ambiguous on the terms of recognition. The full acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state was still a long way away. What changed then?
The Arab world changed. While local rulers, even after 9/11, kept telling their Western counterparts that the Palestinian issue had to be solved, they also began to whisper that they were the only bulwark against an Islamist takeover. Beneath the surface, an earthquake was brewing.
Eventually, it erupted in an orgy of mass violence that swept the Arab order away. The thin veneer of rhetoric spewed by authoritarian regimes donning the mantle of Palestinian grievances, for decades, hid a growing array of challenges that divided the Arab world, leading it to near implosion.
The toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 may have been a poorly enacted plan—resulting from a fantasy of exporting democracy to a region where lifting the lid of authoritarianism would only create a vacuum filled by even darker forces and in the process unleash sectarianism. But it also exposed the futility of clinging to the myth of unity that Arab nationalist rhetoric espoused.
Historians will eventually determine how much the Iraq war of 2003 and the removal of an Arab tyrant influenced, nearly eight years later, the sudden eruption of popular anger that, from Tunisia in November 2010, quickly swept across the region. They will also have to figure out how, in the greater scheme of things, the mild authoritarianism of the royal rulers in Jordan and Morocco weathered the storm so much better than the secular, much more oppressive dictatorships of countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. What is clear is this: Seventy years of unrelenting and bitter conflict over Palestine resulted in a mere fraction of the casualties and refugees generated by less than 20 years of Arab internecine strife in Iraq and, later on, across the region.
Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad takes pride of place in the ferocity he unleashed against his fellow Arabs. The demise of Libya’s dictator, Moammar Qadafi, has left a vacuum filled with violence and sectarianism. Egypt survived its winter of discontent only by reinstituting the military dictatorship. Suddenly, the horrors of Lebanon’s civil war—a ferocious sectarian war where all the region’s powers chose a faction to support as their proxies—became the norm.
There were other long-term trends. A population explosion has meant, even for oil-rich countries, that they cannot keep their peoples docile with handouts alone. The digital revolution has considerably weakened the ability of state propaganda machines to keep the lid on their countries’ narratives. The world is laid bare through means they can neither control nor deny their subjects access to.
And then there is the miracle of the smaller Arab principalities—chiefly the United Arab Emirates. Their rulers chose to open their countries to the world long ago by diversifying their economy and turning their tiny kingdoms into hubs for global travel, a booming service industry, tourism, and trade—much of it manned by expatriates. That meant choosing national interests over nationalist rhetoric.
There is no doubt that the regional threat presented by Iran played a part in making the Abraham Accords possible—much like how Carter’s insistence on a Middle East peace conference where the Soviet Union played a role alarmed Sadat so much that he boarded a plane and flew to Jerusalem. Yet many of these conditions that are being mentioned today to explain away détente in the region miss the broader point.
History has happened. Not the rise of a new threat, which existed before and will continue to beckon on the horizon. But a historic change of perceptions, where the notion that Israel is a foreign implant has forever lost credence.
It is a new day in the Middle East. And no amount of nostalgia for the old order among Western establishment bureaucrats and fiery intellectuals will change that.
*Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @eottolenghi. FDD is a nonpartisan think tank focused on foreign policy and national security issues.

European allies pushed back when Trump sanctioned Iran’s banks
John O’Donnell and Jonathan Saul/Reuters/December 02/2020
Germany, France and Britain urged the Trump administration in late October to reconsider broad, new sanctions against Iran’s banks, arguing that the move would deter legitimate humanitarian trade and hurt the allies’ common interests, diplomatic correspondence shows.
Germany’s Bundesbank also kept a multi-billion-euro deposit facility open for Iranian banks, including two that faced fresh U.S. sanctions, giving Tehran a much-needed banking lifeline at a time its access to the global financial system was largely cut off, according to central bank data and interviews with bankers, Western diplomats and officials.
The behind-the-scenes pushback to Washington and the extent of Germany’s support to Iranian trade in the face of U.S. sanctions have not been previously reported, and shed new light on the divergent approaches to Iran taken by President Donald Trump and the U.S. allies.
The letter came after the United States imposed sanctions on October 8 against 18 Iranian banks as part of a campaign to exert “maximum pressure” on Tehran. The order barred Americans further from dealing with the Iranian banks and extended secondary sanctions on foreign companies that did business with those lenders. For foreign banks, violations could mean losing access to the U.S. market and raise the spectre of hefty penalties, even although U.S. sanctions, legally speaking, don’t apply in Europe and other jurisdictions.
In their joint letter, dated October 26, diplomats from the three European nations told Washington that the sanctions could make food and medicine “prohibitively expensive” for ordinary Iranians in the middle of the pandemic.
“The US has always said that its aim was to target the ruling elite and not the Iranian population,” according to the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. “In our view it is important to uphold this undertaking in practice.”
They sought reassurances that the United States would “not impose penalties on financial institutions processing humanitarian trade in good faith without first engaging with them.”
In a statement to Reuters, the U.S. State Department said that Washington wants to ensure sanctions do not impede humanitarian assistance to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson with Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the UK “does not agree with these sanctions, which affect a number of banks helping the Iranian people access vital humanitarian supplies.”
France’s foreign ministry declined to comment. A French diplomatic source said the letter was part of ongoing efforts by the three countries to make clear to the U.S. administration that it would not give up on the Iran deal.
A German government official said that humanitarian channels need to remain open and that it has advocated for this.
A Bundesbank spokesman confirmed that Iranian banks held accounts with it in order to process payments but declined to comment on them individually. “The German Bundesbank is bound by national and European law, also, naturally, in relation to financial sanctions,” the spokesman said.
The Iranian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
The Iran nuclear accord of 2015 was a key achievement for President Barack Obama’s international diplomacy until Trump withdrew from the deal in May 2018, and started imposing a new round of unilateral sanctions on Tehran.
Financial support for trade, one of the central tenets of the agreement, has since shrivelled, hitting Iran’s economy hard. The Institute of International Finance, a global group of financial institutions, estimates that the Iranian economy contracted by about 6% for the third consecutive year because of the impact of sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.
Tehran, meanwhile, has cited the general absence of financial support from European powers as a reason for ignoring parts of the nuclear deal. Ratcheting tensions further, the country’s top nuclear scientist was assassinated in recent days.
Germany, France and Britain, which were also signatories to the 2015 deal, are hoping President-elect Joe Biden would change course. Biden, set to take office on January 20, has said he will re-join the pact if Iran resumes compliance.
One European diplomat said that Germany was now leading preparations to salvage the deal. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain met in Berlin at the end of November to discuss Iran in a meeting France’s foreign ministry said was aimed at preserving the nuclear deal.
German lawmaker Klaus Ernst told Reuters that Berlin was keen that trade was revived.
“Europe needs to win its independence from America when making international payments,” said Ernst, who chairs the Bundestag’s economy and energy committee. “Trade is the best way of getting Iran to change for the better.”
BUNDESBANK DEPOSITS
Germany’s political position, informed by historical ties with Iran, has helped its banks and companies play a leading role in trade with Iran, according to two experts in international payments.
Justine Walker, head of global sanctions and risk with ACAMS, an organisation of specialists tackling financial crime, said Germany stood out for its willingness to hold Iranian accounts – a stance that has continued despite the U.S. sanctions.
Five Iranian banks - all of which are subject to U.S. sanctions - held roughly 3.8 billion euros on deposit with the Bundesbank at the beginning of the year, according to the banks’ financial accounts. Some of this money has since been withdrawn, but the level of financial exposure is still above 3 billion euros, Bank for International Settlements data from June shows.
U.S. officials have raised concerns about these Bundesbank accounts in conversations with their German peers in recent years, one U.S. official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
The funds are used by the Iranian banks to facilitate transactions to companies doing business with Iran, according to two finance sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
Reuters could not learn how long these payment facilities for Tehran have existed.
One of these banks is the German unit of Iranian state-owned Bank Melli, which was sanctioned in 2018.
Helmut Gottlieb, a board member and top manager at the bank, said although the scope of the bank’s activities had narrowed, it still offered loans to companies that do business with Iran.
“Under Trump, we’ve come under increasing pressure from the Americans,” Gottlieb said. He added that the Melli’s German unit is regularly audited and must meet standards set by Bundesbank and other European regulators.
COMMON INTERESTS
One of the banks with an account with the Bundesbank is mentioned in the October letter. The bank is among a handful that the Europeans singled out as worthy of exemption from secondary sanctions because of their focus on financing humanitarian trade and proven record of compliance.
The European allies make a broad plea for leniency, however, the letter shows. They argue against cutting off the sanctioned banks’ access to the SWIFT payment messaging system and express worries about the impact on Instex, a fledgling mechanism set up to barter humanitarian goods and food with Iran.
They also argued that the sanctions would make it more difficult for diplomatic missions, international organizations and non-profits to maintain their presence in Iran. “The humanitarian needs of the Iranian population are acute and require an effective response. Actively hindering such a response will damage our common interests,” they wrote.
*Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Robin Emmott in Brussels and Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; editing by Paritosh Bansal and Edward Tobin

 

Officials Say Peace Accord Between Sudan and Israel Is Already at Risk of Unraveling
Lara Jakes/The New York Times/December 02/2020
Representatives for Sudan say the East African country will exit the accords brokered by the Trump administration if Congress refuses to give it immunity from future terrorism claims in court.
WASHINGTON — A landmark agreement between Sudan and Israel to begin normalizing relations is at risk of unraveling just over a month after it was announced by President Trump, revealing a crack in Middle East peace accords that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel have sought to cement as foreign policy legacies.
Sudan was the third Arab state to agree to the Trump-brokered Abraham accords that have opened new economic and diplomatic partnerships with Israel. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed on to the accords in September and, as recently as last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo predicted other Sunni Muslim countries in the Middle East would soon follow.
Sudan reluctantly agreed to open relations with Israel — but only as part of a deal to be taken off a State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism — and wants Congress to approve legislation by year’s end that would protect it from terror-related lawsuits.
The new deadline, and recent negotiations between lawmakers and representatives of Sudan, were described to The New York Times by five officials and other people familiar with the talks on the condition that they not be identified.
That it could imperil the rapprochement with Israel is the byproduct of what Ilan Goldenberg, the director of the Middle East Security program at the Center for a New American Security, described as rushed efforts by the Trump administration to score a foreign policy victory ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
“The whole thing felt forced all along by an administration that wanted to use a terrorism designation as a political tool to try to get normalization with Israel,” Mr. Goldenberg said. “When you cook up these kinds of very transactional deals with unrelated items that don’t make much sense, this sometimes happens.”
Without the congressionally approved immunity, foreign investors may be reluctant to do business with Sudan for fear they could end up financing potentially billions of dollars in compensation to terror victims.
Without foreign investment, Sudan’s transitional government has little hope of pulling its country out of widespread poverty and instability — a crisis that has been exacerbated by the influx of an estimated 43,000 Ethiopian refugees fleeing unrest across the border.
Mr. Pompeo spoke on Monday with Sudan’s de facto leader, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who made clear that the East African nation would not move forward with warming ties with Israel before Congress passes the so-called legal peace legislation.
A person familiar with the conversation said Mr. Pompeo assured General al-Burhan that the immunity plan would be approved in the next several weeks. Trump administration officials are already planning a signing ceremony with Sudanese officials at the White House in late December.
Spokespeople for the State Department declined to comment and the Israeli Embassy in Washington, which is closely following the negotiations, did not respond to a request for comment.
ImageA person familiar with the conversation said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured General al-Burhan that the immunity plan would be approved in the next several weeks.
A person familiar with the conversation said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured General al-Burhan that the immunity plan would be approved in the next several weeks. Credit...Pool photo by Nicholas Kamm
But Congress has been deadlocked over the legal peace legislation, which essentially would block victims of past terror attacks from seeking new compensation from Sudan. If a compromise can be reached quickly, it could be included in a large military spending bill that Congress is expected to approve over the next two weeks, according to a Senate official who is working to break the impasse.
As part of the agreement for being removed from the State Department’s terrorism list, Sudan agreed to pay $335 million to settle legal claims of victims of the 1998 bombings against American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The twin blasts, carried out by Al Qaeda militants with Sudan’s assistance, killed 224 people, including 12 U.S. citizens; thousands more were injured.
Most of the money, as negotiated between Sudan and the State Department, will go to victims who were American citizens at the time of the blast. But other victims — nearly all of whom are Black and including those who have since become U.S. citizens — will receive far less compensation.
Some lawmakers, including Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, have balked at the payment disparity for victims who were naturalized citizens after the attacks. None of the victims will receive any compensation until the immunity legislation is approved; if that does not happen by November 2021, the funds will be released from an escrow account and returned to the government of Sudan.
Lawmakers are also divided over shielding Sudan from future court judgments that could compel Khartoum to compensate families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Those families are working with lawmakers from the New York City region, including Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, to preserve their claims to hold Sudan liable in part for the five years it gave shelter to Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks by Al Qaeda, between 1991 and 1996.
Officials close to the negotiations said both senators recognized Sudan’s fragile economic situation, and described them as eager to resolve the dispute.
But, the officials said, any compromise would have to allow the families of Sept. 11 victims to pursue compensation from Sudan — even if that means the United States must help Khartoum figure out how to pay those claims years from now. Moreover, the officials said, the State Department should not have promised that Congress would do otherwise as part of the diplomatic negotiations to remove Sudan from the terrorism list. A person familiar with Sudan’s negotiating position called that unacceptable. It is not clear what will happen if the dispute is not resolved by the end of the year. But all sides agreed that it could fester indefinitely as Congress turns to more immediate priorities with the incoming administration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.
“I hope it doesn’t fall apart,” Mr. Goldenberg said of Sudan’s détente with Israel, “but I’m not necessarily all that surprised.”
*Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.


Why Joe Biden's Middle East and Israel policy is not Obama's
Michael Fenenbock/The Media Line/December 02/2020
مايكل فينبوك/ميديا لاين: لهذه الأسباب سياسة بيدن في الشرق الأوسط وإسرائيل لن تكون كسياسات أوباما

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Israel and the Middle East will not be a top priority for action by a Biden
President Obama viewed Israel as a colonial force, an outsider, occupying Arab-Muslim lands. And that perspective colored his foreign policy.
That is not President-elect Biden’s perspective. He is not going to rush off to Cairo and make a big-splash speech. Israel and the Middle East will not be a top priority for action by a Biden administration.
To get a handle on Biden’s first concerns and just where dealing with Israel and the Middle East fits in precedence and importance, first we must understand the somber domestic political situation he faces. America is divided. The election results were razor thin. The US is geographically divided, culturally divided, politically divided. And not just a little bit.
According to the latest Economist/YouGov poll, 89% of Republicans believe voter fraud affected the outcome of the election. Think about that: Nearly nine out of ten Republicans say a Biden presidency won’t be legitimate and that voter fraud absolutely occurred. Meanwhile, 90% of Democrats believe the 2020 election was free and fair.
A newly elected President Biden is faced with a fiercely divided country. Biden just doesn’t need the tsoris of dealing with Israel or the Middle East. Add to that equation the fact that there is no huge wave of popular American political pressure or sentiment or screaming masses yelling in Joe Biden’s ear to get involved with Israel or in the Middle East. There is simply no particular pressure even from his left wing to put Israel at the top of, or even near the top of, his to-do list.
President Biden’s number one concern will be domestic policy. He will be immediately judged on how he handles the pandemic. He must get that right. A lot is riding on the vaccines. And Biden must focus on the economy and recovery. The economy remains the number one response in every opinion poll. And he faces a wealth of other domestic crises.
Yes, it’s true Biden believes in a “two-state solution” as the way forward and he is going to present his Middle East and Israel policy in those terms. But that doesn’t mean any big movement on the two-state solution will happen. Bet on the Palestinian Authority being disappointed. They think they have a bosom buddy in Biden.
He will offer to do something with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran nuclear deal, but Egypt, the Saudis, the Gulf states, even Jordan and a number of significant Europeans have already advised Biden to go very slow . . . and he will. There is no big political imperative in America clambering for movement on the Iran front. None. Zero. Nada. If anything, Americans don’t trust Iran. Not to mention, there will be a compelling and cogent argument from Israel. In concert with others, Biden will make Iran a JCPOA offer. Iran will not be happy with his offer. And round and round we will go.
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Biden will pursue foreign policy goals, but they won’t be focused on Israel.
He wants to engage globally on climate change. There is a constituency in America that will be anxious and pushing him to do just that. He will want to reach out to European partners and reassure them. And he will want to rejoin the World Health Organization.
Friends of Israel can take some comfort in knowing that, as it relates to Israel, Biden’s appointments have been absent extremists or radicals. Alejandro Mayorkas at Homeland Security is very good. Ron Klain as chief of staff is a moderate. Antony Blinken as secretary of state is a moderate. Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the United Nations gets very high marks from many. Jake Sullivan as national security adviser is a moderate. The likely appointment of Michèle Flournoy as defense secretary is an excellent choice.
Keep in mind that if the Republicans hold the Senate, Biden’s foreign policy will have to contend with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and their very pro-Israel chairman, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho.
Lastly, as a caution: While a President Biden may not want Israel to be a center of attention, there are other actors and events that might intrude ... Hezbollah, the collapse of Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Hamas or an attack on Israel’s natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, as examples.
As the famous quote goes: “This is the Middle East, not the Midwest.” Stuff happens here.
Michael Fenenbock is an American political strategist in a career that spans over four decades of providing tactical expertise to major campaigns.
*For more stories visit themedialine.org


Parlous finances top Iraq’s list of troubles
Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/December 02/2020
Early last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi completed six months in office. Ushered in as head of government with considerable hope by Iraq’s warring politicians, the half-year milestone evoked little enthusiasm among ordinary Iraqis. Most of them see him as well-meaning but ineffectual in the face of the country’s diverse challenges: Violence, deep national divisions and, above all, the state of the economy.
The combination of the pandemic and low oil prices has hit Iraq very hard. Oil sales provide 95 percent of the nation’s revenues. In 2019, income from oil sales was $6.5 billion per month, but it collapsed to just $1.4 billion in April this year, before recovering to about $3 billion from May onward. But this is still not enough to pay the salaries and other benefits due to the country’s 4 million state employees, compelling the government to borrow $3 billion per month from the central bank.
This pattern of living hand-to-mouth has continued: On Nov. 12, the Iraqi parliament approved governmental borrowing of another $10 billion, which will be just enough to meet the salary bill until the end of December.
Iraq’s parlous condition is being addressed by sections of the international community. An “international financial alliance,” made up of the G7 countries, the World Bank and European and Iraqi financial institutions, set up the Iraqi Economic Contact Group in October to back reforms and promote stability and growth. However, Finance Minister Ali Allawi has focused on another priority — getting back the $150 billion he claims was “stolen” from Iraq and is located in foreign banks.
As he handled his country’s tattered finances, Allawi last month vented his strong feelings in public, condemning the rampant corruption in the country. He noted that lowly clerical jobs at border posts were being sold for amounts between $50,000 and $100,000, so that the government coffers received just 10 percent of what was collected. Given that oil prices are unlikely to go up in the near future, the minister warned that the country could either adopt austerity or go bankrupt. So far, he noted, there were no takers for austerity.
The government’s indulgence of its salaried employees — who make up just 11 percent of the workforce — brings little comfort to those who eke out a miserable existence in the country’s informal sector: Casual workers on daily wages. They were reduced to destitution by the pandemic-enforced lockdowns, contributing to the 10 percent increase in Iraq’s poverty levels. The government’s efforts to ease their situation and reopen the economy have created an exponential increase in coronavirus disease infections. Iraq now has more than half-a-million cases, the highest in the region after Turkey and Iran, and has suffered 12,000 deaths.
While Iraq is no longer seeing the lethal sectarian violence of the last decade, the threat from Daesh remains. In August, the UN’s head of counterterrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, estimated there were 10,000 Daesh fighters active in Syria and Iraq. They have carried out at least three major attacks in Iraq in the last month: Killing a tribal chief in the Diyala region near the Iran border; killing another 11 people, many of them from the Popular Mobilization Units, at a lookout post at Al-Radwaniyah, southwest of Baghdad; and launching a rocket attack at the Siniya refinery in Salahuddin province.
These attacks, coupled with the killing of eight Sunni youths in Salahuddin province in October, could aggravate the barely-healed sectarian divisions and revive the conflicts that previously devastated Iraq. Thus, Sunni politicians have used the murder of the youths to promote a Sunni alliance and even create an autonomous Sunni-majority province in Anbar, Iraq’s largest province, which shares borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Fortunately for Iraq, these politicians have little credibility: Most are believed to be driven by personal ambitions and many have an unsavory record of corruption.
Given that oil prices are unlikely to go up in the near future, the finance minister warned that the country could either adopt austerity or go bankrupt.
The good news is that Anbar province is at the center of a major Saudi-Iraqi cooperation project. Since April 2018, the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council has been pursuing Saudi investment in an agricultural project in Anbar. Covering a million hectares, the project envisages the creation of agricultural production and food processing facilities in the region, possibly providing 30,000 jobs. The region provides rich farmland due to the presence of the Habbaniyah, Razaza and Sawa lakes and the Haditha Dam, which is a major reservoir. The province also has numerous desert springs that have supported small farms for centuries.Saudi-Iraqi ties received a fillip with last month’s opening of the Arar border crossing for the first time in 30 years. This was the traditional route for Iraqi pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage and it is now expected to facilitate cross-border trade.
In fact, the Arar crossing and the Anbar agricultural project are the best antidotes to Iraq’s economic malaise.
*Talmiz Ahmad is an author and former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE. He holds the Ram Sathe Chair for International Studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune, India.