LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 19/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be
First Letter to the Corinthians 06/01-11/:”When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels to say nothing of ordinary matters? If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer and another, but a believer goes to court against a believer and before unbelievers at that? In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud and believers at that. Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 18-19/2019
Amal, Hezbollah and FPM to nominate Hassan Diab for PM as Hariri backs out
Socio-economic position paper by organisations and activists on the current situation in Lebanon
Lebanon: Hariri Says Will Not Be PM, Security Tightened After Nights of Violence
Lebanon: Violence Moves to Tripoli as Cleric’s Office Attacked
Pressure on Lebanon's Schools as Tough Times Force Children Into State System
Report: Hale’s Visit to Beirut Coincides with Talks to Name PM
Shiite Cleric Lashes Out at Hizbullah, AMAL Movement
Report: Army Chief Cautions of ‘Revolution of the Hungry
Berri, Daryan Warn against Attempts to Stir Sectarian Strife
Reports: Berri Asks Hariri to Talk to Bassil, Consultations on Ti
Berri: No Political Cover for Those who Harm Civil Peace
Mob Attacks Cleric's Office in Tripoli, Burns Christmas Tree
Security Measures Upped at Protest Sites after Violence
Sethrida Geagea Lauds Hariri's 'Wise National Stance'
Bassil Lauds Hariri's 'Positive Step', Urges Him to Pick 'Credible' Candidate
Lebanese-Australian Brothers Jailed for Etihad Airways Bomb Plot

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 18-19/2019
Trump administration won't call mass killing of Armenians a genocide despite congressional resolutions
President Trump’s impeachment is a matter of party politics
Putin, Erdogan Discuss Libya
Dubai Police Arrest Leader of 'Angels of Death' Organization
Congress Rejects Funding ‘Deal of the Century
Israel Approves Gas Exports to Egypt
US Congress passes defense bill with tough measures on Turkey
LNA Threatens Turkey, Italy Rules Out Military Solution
Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel, Facebook of Repressing Palestinians
World Youth Forum Concludes With Resolutions on Immigration, Mediterranean Cooperation
Riyadh, Washington Discuss Means of Recovering Looted State Funds
Kuwait's New Govt: New Ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Three Female Ministers
Low Aspirin Doses Protect Overweight People from Colon Cancer

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 18-19/2019
Amal, Hezbollah and FPM to nominate Hassan Diab for PM as Hariri backs out/Christina Farhat/Annahar/December 18/2019
Socio-economic position paper by organisations and activists on the current situation in Lebanon/CLDH - Lebanese Center for Human Rights/December 18/2019
Dr. Mohammad Baydoun a Lebanese-American doctor finds cure for Quadriplegia/Roula Mouawad/Annahar/December 18/2019
Impoverished Beirut Neighborhood Becomes Starting Point for Attacks on Protesters/Sanaa el-Jack/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Lebanon’s Vital Future Battle/Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/December 18/2019
The Lebanese Revolution and the Four Dragons/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Hezbollah, Blood Diamond and the End of an Era/Elizabeth A. Harris/The New York Times/December 18/2019
Lebanese families find feast plans curtailed or canceled this year/TK Maloy and Ghadir Hamadi/Annahar/December 18/2019
Lebanon’s Filipino community prepares for a difficult Christmas/Sunniva Rose/The National/December 18/2019
*Iraq: The Triad of Army, People, and Marja/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Hamas, Thirty-Two Years Later/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/December 18/2019
American Academia: Pandering to Radicals, Curbing Free Speech/Najat AlSaied/Gatestone Institute/December 18/2019
Arab Christians easily forgotten by those in the West/Ray Hanania/Arab News/December 18/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 18-19/2019
Amal, Hezbollah and FPM to nominate Hassan Diab for PM as Hariri backs out
Christina Farhat/Annahar/December 18/2019
Hariri cited the developments that have transpired as a principle reason for pulling out of the race for Prime Minister.
BEIRUT: Amal, Hezbollah, and Free Patriotic Movement bloc have come to the consensus decision to nominate Hassan Diab, former Minister of Education in Najib Mikati’s cabinet, for Prime Minister. Diab’s nomination comes to light as caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced he was withdrawing his candidacy to head Lebanon’s upcoming government earlier today. Binding parliamentary consultations to nominate a new premier are set to take place Thursday. “Since submitting my resignation fifty days ago in response to the cry of the Lebanese, I have strived to meet their demands with the formation of a government of specialists that I saw were the people capable of dealing with the serious social and economic crisis facing our country,” Hariri said in a statement issued Wednesday. Hariri cited the developments that have transpired as a principle reason for pulling out of the race for Prime Minister. “Despite my commitment to forming a government of specialists, certain positions have emerged in the last few days that could not be reconciled,“ he said. Massive protests across Lebanon have objected to Hariri possibly regaining his post as Prime Minister in recent days.
The Free Patriotic Movement welcomed Hariri’s decision, saying that it reflects ”a positive step and hope that Prime Minister Saad Hariri will finish off his duties by proposing a reliable and capable person to work on forming a government that has the support of the people and the Parliamentary blocs as well as the international community.”The Lebanese Forces then noted that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s statement echoes the voice of his father, Martyr and former Prime Minister, Rafic Hariri. “I cannot fail to mention this wise national position, which reminds us of the positions of the martyr Prime Minister Rafik hariri. He used to say:” No one is greater than his country,” MP Setrida Geagea said in a statement. As the political elite grapple over arriving at political concurrence, over appointing a new Prime Minister, three Lebanese Banks were downgraded to “SD” on revised deposit terms and conditions by S&P ratings.Bank Audi, Blom Bank, and Bankmed were downgraded to SD from CCC following Bank Du Liban’s circular requesting banks to pay half of the interest due on customers USD denominated term deposits “existing and not matured” before December 5, 2019. “We lowered our ratings to SD because in our opinion private individuals lack of access to their bank deposits on time and in full different remuneration from the original contractual terms and constraints to their ability to transfer funds abroad constitute a risk for depositors of losing the benefit of their agreements and therefore a selective default,” said the statement issued by S&P Global Ratings. S&P also stated in their report that they expect the economic conditions in Lebanon to “remain stressed in coming years.”

Socio-economic position paper by organisations and activists on the current situation in Lebanon
CLDH - Lebanese Center for Human Rights/December 18/2019
The following paper has been drafted by a group of organisations and individuals to assert our position pertaining to the people’s revolution, which has been ongoing since October 17th to date. It aims to clarify the prevailing realities and dynamics which have catalysed the revolution, without addressing demands to a polity which has lost its legitimacy. This position paper solely represents the perspectives and opinions of its signatories.
This revolution, characterised by an unprecedented geographic spread, is the inevitable consequence of the predominant practices of an exclusionary, corrupt, unaccounted for, and feuding political apparatus, characterised by its various regional and international allegiances. The interplay of these dynamics has stripped the legitimacy away from the former government, as the people clarified that the current political class does not represent them.
Indeed, this revolution is the outcome of accumulated non-inclusive and unsustainable socio-economic policies used to further politicise and further sectarian and horizontal divides, and dismantle social solidarity.
These marginalising policies, based on clientelistic capitalism, a rentier economy, the incitement of ideological prejudice, and the neglected provision of public goods, have served to benefit an affluent minority whose interests coincide with the continuity of a segregated sectarian system. A system which has brought on the current national social movement, enraged by incidents of exploitation, and violations of basic human rights.
Following the end of the civil war, instead of formulating a sustainable reconciliation plan in order to rebuild a social contract, and hold perpetrators accountable for their grave human rights violations, the Lebanese polity obscured the realities of the war, and its residues, with the issuance of an unjust amnesty law doubly exploiting victims, and facilitating the warlord’s capture of the state. Indeed, they have institutionalised and integrated their militias into the political system, further exacerbating class segregation and sectarian strife .
Additionally, the collusion and intersection of interests among influential elites, businessmen and statesmen has contributed to the construction of a patron-client network, at the expense of the people, further compounding socio-economic grievances.
Furthermore, the capture of state resources, notably through the policies of privatization and capitalism, have led to the collapse of Lebanon’s economic and social fabric.
The foreign interests of our decision makers, both political and economic, have led to the absence of effective nationally-oriented policies, the accumulation of human rights violations, and state’s relinquishment of its responsibilities towards the rightful demands of the people.
Hence, during this historic moment in Lebanon, we strongly reinforce our commitment to the following principles:
Lebanon is a secular, democratic civil state based on a social contract, and citizenship and social justice principles. Freedoms and human rights are to be guaranteed without discrimination, through a unified personal civil status law, shifting towards fair, effective and accountable participatory institutions, as well as ensuring comprehensive socio-economic, environmental and cultural rights .
Protecting, preserving and respecting the dignity of all citizens and residents on Lebanese territory without any discrimination, notably by granting women their full rights as Lebanese citizens without discrimination, such as the right to pass on citizenship to members of their family, and equal inheritance.
Building a social policy which promotes solidarity and trust within the society, and includes ensuring universal social protection, through the provision of universal health coverage, pension plans, motherhood insurance, unemployment insurance, and end of service benefits.
Building the foundations of a productive economy, that is based on solidarity, in addition to developing economic policies aiming to enhance efficiency, and ensuring the alleviation of inequality and poverty, and environment preservation.
Adopting an equitable progressive tax system based on the incomes of individuals, companies, and banks, all the while reducing indirect taxes.
Through this paper, we reaffirm our support to the ongoing revolution. Read More at: Copyrights © 2019 Lebanon Support. All rights reserved.

Lebanon: Hariri Says Will Not Be PM, Security Tightened After Nights of Violence
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Lebanon's Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday he was not a candidate to be prime minister of a new government, leaving no obvious alternative to head a cabinet that must tackle the worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. Hariri, the outgoing prime minister and Lebanon's leading Sunni politician, made the statement on the eve of formal consultations to designate the new prime minister, a post reserved for a Sunni in Lebanon's sectarian system. "I announce that I will not be a candidate to form the coming government," Hariri said in a statement.
"I am heading tomorrow to take part in the consultations ... on this basis, insisting that they not be delayed for any reason," he said.
Hariri did not say who he would nominate for the post in the consultations which President Michel Aoun is due to host on Thursday. Aoun, a Maronite Christian, is required to designate the candidate with the most support among Lebanon's 128 MPs. The only candidate with the support of Lebanon's Sunni Muslim religious establishment, Hariri had appeared the only candidate for the job earlier this week despite political tension with adversaries including Aoun. But the picture was complicated when the Christian Lebanese Forces said it would name neither Hariri nor anyone else in the consultations, meaning his candidacy would not enjoy the support of either of Lebanon's two main Christian parties. Hariri resigned as prime minister on Oct. 29, prompted by protests against a political elite accused of overseeing rampant state corruption. In a related development, security was tightened around protest centers in central Beirut Wednesday, after several nights of violence disrupted two months of largely peaceful anti-government demonstrations. Barricades were erected overnight to block or control access to protest sites in the capital where counterdemonstrators have previously tried to attack protesters, AFP journalists said.
An officer who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the concrete barriers were intended to help security forces better control the sites and prevent further clashes. After violence between protesters and security forces in Beirut on Saturday and Sunday night, and between counterdemonstrators and police on Monday night, the capital remained calm on Tuesday. The unprecedented protests started on October 17 against a political elite deemed inept and corrupt. Protesters demand a complete overhaul of the ruling class and a new government formed of independent experts. On Tuesday night, young supporters of the Shiite Amal movement threw stones at anti-government protesters in the southern Shiite stronghold of Nabatieh, a witness said.
Unknown perpetrators set fire to a Christmas tree in the northern city of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent said. On Monday night, dozens of supporters of the country's two main Shiite political parties set fire to cars and clashed with security forces trying to prevent them from reaching Beirut's main protest square. Pressure to form a new government is compounded by the near collapse of the economy, already weakened by years of political deadlock and the impact of the eight-year-old war in neighboring Syria.The World Bank estimates that Lebanon is in recession, and has warned that the number living in poverty could increase from a third to half the population.

Lebanon: Violence Moves to Tripoli as Cleric’s Office Attacked
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Unknown assailants attacked the office of Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli, smashing its windows early on Wednesday, reports said. They then moved to one of the city's main squares and set fire to the municipality's Christmas tree. The military said that it later detained four suspects in Tripoli and confiscated their motorcycles. The military said men on motorcycles gathered outside Shaar’s home and rioted, “used profanity” and smashed property. The mob then moved to the square and threw fire bombs at the Christmas tree, setting it on fire. The violence indicated that the tensions that recently gripped the Lebanese capital, Beirut, over an online video deemed offensive to the country's Shiites are spreading to Tripoli, the country's second-largest city. On Tuesday, anger boiled over in Beirut after the offensive video was widely circulated online, showing a Tripoli resident railing against the leaders of the country's two main Shiite groups, Hezbollah and Amal and religious Shiite figures and using expletives. Their supporters descended on a protest camp in Beirut as security forces intervened to push them back, setting off hours of pitched street battles.
Angry assailants also attacked protest camps in the northern district of Hermel and in the southern city of Sidon and Nabatiyeh on Tuesday. The violence threatened to plunge Lebanon further into chaos and ignite sectarian strife after anti-government protests erupted on October 17 forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. This week Shaar called Amal movement leader Speaker Nabih Berri to apologize for the rant against him. Hezbollah and Amal supporters have been intolerant of the protesters' criticism of their leaders and have tried for days, even before the video emerged, to attack the protest camps. The anti-government protests have spared no Lebanese politician, accusing the ruling elite of corruption and mismanagement, and calling for a government of independents. They have been largely peaceful, sparked by an intensifying economic crisis. Berri and Hariri met on Tuesday and urged the Lebanese not to be “drawn toward strife" and adding that some parties they didn't name are working to incite violence in the country.

Pressure on Lebanon's Schools as Tough Times Force Children Into State System
Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Lebanon's economic crisis is forcing families to pull tens of thousands of children out of the private schools that educate most pupils in the country, and into a long-neglected state education system that is already struggling to cope. Unlike in many countries where private schools are often mainly for the wealthy, Lebanon relies on them to educate two thirds of pupils, with working-class families scrimping to afford hundreds of dollars a month in fees. Those who cannot afford it end up in an under-funded state system that educates 300,000 Lebanese pupils and has put on a second shift in recent years for 200,000 Syrian refugees. With the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war having struck this year, 36,000 extra pupils have moved from private school into the state system, Education Minister Akram Chehayeb told Reuters. He expects still more children to follow, with no additional funds or staff to teach them. "The pressure will increase on public schools," he said. "Due to the 2019 budget, we can't hire new teachers, while 1,400 retire every year." Eid Ramadan, a hairstylist, struggled to find more than $6,000 a year in total for private school for his two sons. This year he was forced to pull his younger son out. "My kids are thankfully smart and understanding," he said. "They know we were doing the impossible to keep them (in private school). But we've reached a point where we couldn't. We've hit a brick wall." The country's long-brewing economic troubles have spiraled into a financial crisis since October, when protests erupted against the ruling elite. Businesses have closed, workers have been laid off and wages cut. Banks are restricting access to cash and the Lebanese pound has slumped. "The majority of the people can no longer pay thousands of dollars for tuition every year," said Ramadan. Salwa Hemadeh moved her 14-year-old daughter into a state school this year, having previously moved her three sons out of private education as the economy worsened and her husband's job as a plasterer brought in less income. "She didn't adapt well to the new school because it was so big and there were so many students. But we laid out the truth: either you get your education at this public school or you get no education," she said.

Report: Hale’s Visit to Beirut Coincides with Talks to Name PM
Naharnet/December 18/2019
U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale is expected to visit Beirut on Thursday in line with Lebanon’s parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister, media reports said on Wednesday. Hale is scheduled to meet President Michel Aoun before noon on Friday and Speaker Nabih Berri and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun later during the day, al-Joumhouria daily said. His visit comes amid nationwide protests in Lebanon demanding an overhaul of the entire political class and an unprecedented economic crisis. Quoting unnamed sources, Hizbullah’s al-Akhbar newspaper said Hale will pay a “classic” visit and will meet senior Lebanese officials. “Hale does not carry radical political or economic solutions. He is conducting a political showdown,” said the sources ruling out any discussion of “military solution” for Lebanon’s political crisis. “There is no room for a military government in the presence of President of the Republic. Voices from the street praising the military and their assumption of power have previously emerged due to excess enthusiasm. It is no longer on the table today,” said the sources.PM Saad Hariri stepped down under street pressure less than two weeks into the October 17 protests. But no consensus has yet been reached on a replacement and parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister have twice been postponed, the latest on Monday.

Shiite Cleric Lashes Out at Hizbullah, AMAL Movement
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Prominent Shiite cleric Ali al-Amin lashed out at Hizbullah on Wednesday after the latter’s accusations that he is “normalizing ties with Israel.”“Treason campaigns against me by Hizbullah are not something new and are due to my rejection of the Iranian project they carry to Lebanon and the region,” said al-Amin in a press conference. Hizbullah denounced the participation of Amin in a religious forum in Bahrain attended by “Zionist figures” and accused him of “normalizing” ties with Israel. Amin said: “My disagreement with Hizbullah and AMAL (movement) is not new, and I will remain supportive of the Lebanese people's uprising.”He accused the party and the “mother Shiite institution” in Lebanon of launching “treason campaigns and fabrications.”On his participation in the Bahrain forum that allowed the participation of Israel, he said: “I took part in the forum without knowing the participants’ names,” noting it was also attended by Lebanon’s ambassador to Bahrain. “I will remain opposed to Hizbullah’s policy of oppression and domination. The Shiite duo’s policy only brings harm upon the Shiite community,” he concluded.

Report: Army Chief Cautions of ‘Revolution of the Hungry’
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 18/2019
Army chief General Joseph Aoun reportedly warned many Lebanese officials of the “revolution of the hungry,” saying the military can not do much to prevent the “genuinely poor class” when they take to the streets in protest at dire economic conditions, media reports said Wednesday.
Media reports attributed remarks to Aoun as saying that the military has been able to absorb and control systematic or spontaneous attempts to destabilize security, but that politicians do not have the luxury of time because living conditions in the country warn of more dangerous scenarios.
Officials have not yet reached consensus on a new prime minister as Lebanon grapples with an economic crisis unprecedented in its history. According to informed sources, the army chief was clear and determined to prevent any attempts tampering with security by some parties making “street” moves, but he was clear in warning of the real consequences shall the genuinely "poor class" go out into the street because of the economic collapse. Warning of the “revolution of the hungry,” he reportedly said the army will not be able to maintain stability or carry out its tasks because it "will not confront the poor" in the streets.
Aoun sounded the alarm to more than one political official by saying, "beware the revolution of the hungry.”

Berri, Daryan Warn against Attempts to Stir Sectarian Strife
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan held phone talks Wednesday in the wake of the latest Sunni-Shiites tensions in the country. In their discussions, Berri and Daryan emphasized on “the unity of Muslims within national unity and the unity of the Lebanese,” the National News Agency said. They also stressed the need to “be vigilant in order not to fall into the trap of the roving sedition attempts.”

Reports: Berri Asks Hariri to Talk to Bassil, Consultations on Time
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Speaker Nabih Berri has advised caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri to communicate with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil over the FPM’s participation in the new government, al-Jadeed TV reported on Wednesday.“But so far no meeting has been scheduled between Hariri and Bassil,” al-Jadeed said. Adding that Hariri “will not visit the Baabda Palace today,” the TV network reported that Hariri will inform the parties this afternoon of his final stance on whether or not he wants to head the new government. LBCI TV meanwhile reported that the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new PM “will be held on time Thursday” and that Berri and his bloc will nominate Hariri for the post. Baabda sources meanwhile told the Central News Agency that Berri has told President Michel Aoun that he suggested two government formats during his talks with Hariri. “The first involves 18 ministers – six technicians and 12 experts – and the second involves 14 ministers – four technicians and 10 experts,” the sources said. Under the second format, Hariri would “name the independents or those whom he considers to be technocrat figures.”“Berri is still awaiting Hariri to respond to the suggestions and the caretaker PM has asked for some time,” the sources added.

Berri: No Political Cover for Those who Harm Civil Peace
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday stressed that there will be no “political or partisan cover” for anyone who “harms unity and civil peace,” in the wake of the latest sectarianly-charged incidents in the country. Speaking during his weekly meeting with lawmakers in Ain el-Tineh, Berri warned of “the scary scenes, the sectarian and regional slogans, infiltrators and those tampering with the fate of the people and the country.”“Sunnis and Shiites are two sects of the same religion and there will be no political or partisan cover for anyone who harms unity and civil peace,” he added. “We would commit suicide rather than give orders to ignite strife,” he said, calling on security and judicial authorities to prosecute “strife agitators.”Separately, he said that the binding parliamentary consultations to pick a new premier should take place “inside the institutions,” urging all parties to “offer concessions.”

Mob Attacks Cleric's Office in Tripoli, Burns Christmas Tree
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 18/2019
Assailants attacked the office of a Sunni Muslim religious leader in the northern city of Tripoli, smashing in windows early on Wednesday, the National News Agency reported. The mob then moved to one of the city's main squares and set fire to the municipality's Christmas tree. The violence indicated that the tensions that recently gripped the Lebanese capital, Beirut, over an online video deemed offensive to the country's Shiites are spreading to Tripoli, the country's second-largest city. The state-run National News Agency reported that the military later detained four assailants in Tripoli but did not provide other details. The military said a mob of men on motorcycles gathered outside the home of Sunni Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar and rioted, "used profanity" and smashed property. The mob then moved to the square and threw fire bombs at the Christmas tree, setting it on fire. The military said it arrested four men and confiscated their motorcycles. On Tuesday, anger boiled over in Beirut after the offensive video was widely circulated online, showing a Sunni resident of Tripoli railing against the leaders of the country's two main Shiite groups, Hizbullah and AMAL and religious Shiite figures and using expletives. Their supporters descended on a protest camp in Beirut as security forces intervened to push them back, setting off hours of pitched street battles. Angry assailants also attacked protest camps in the northern district Hermel and in the southern Sidon and Nabatiyeh on Tuesday. The violence threatened to plunge Lebanon further into chaos and ignite sectarian strife amid two months of anti-government protests and a spiraling financial crisis. The daily An-Nahar said the assailants in Tripoli were angered because the Sunni mufti, al-Shaar, had called the powerful Shiite parliament speaker and head of Amal, Nabih Berri, to apologize for the video. Supporters of Hizbullah and its close ally, the Amal movement, have been intolerant of the protesters' criticism of their leaders and have tried for days, even before the video emerged, to attack the protest camps. The anti-government protests, which erupted in mid-October, have spared no Lebanese politician, accusing the ruling elite of corruption and mismanagement, and calling for a government of independents. They have largely been peaceful, sparked by an intensifying economic crisis Berri, the parliament speaker, and outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri met on Tuesday and urged the Lebanese not to be "drawn toward strife" and adding that some parties they didn't name are working to incite violence in the country.

Security Measures Upped at Protest Sites after Violence
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Security forces increased their presence around protest centers in central Beirut Wednesday, after several nights of violence disrupted two months of largely peaceful anti-government demonstrations. Barricades were erected overnight to block or control access to protest sites in the capital where counterdemonstrators have previously tried to attack protesters, AFP journalists said. An officer who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the concrete barriers were intended to help security forces better control the sites and prevent further clashes.
After violence between protesters and security forces in Beirut on Saturday and Sunday night, and between counterdemonstrators and police on Monday night, the capital remained calm on Tuesday. But tensions were recorded elsewhere in the country, as Lebanon awaits scheduled parliamentary meetings to name a new premier on Thursday, a required step to form a cabinet. The unprecedented protests started on October 17 against a political elite deemed inept and corrupt. Protesters demand a complete overhaul of the ruling class and a new government formed of independent experts. Prime minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, but bitter divisions between political parties have twice seen parliamentary consultations to name a new premier postponed. On Tuesday night, young supporters of the Shiite AMAL movement threw stones at anti-government protesters in the southern Shiite stronghold of Nabatieh, a witness said. Unknown perpetrators set fire to a Christmas tree in the northern city of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent said. On Monday night, dozens of supporters of the country's two main Shiite political parties set fire to cars and clashed with security forces trying to prevent them from reaching Beirut's main protest square.Pressure to form a new government is compounded by the near collapse of the economy, already weakened by years of political deadlock and the impact of the eight-year-old war in neighboring Syria. The World Bank estimates that Lebanon is in recession, and has warned that the number living in poverty could increase from a third to half the population.

Sethrida Geagea Lauds Hariri's 'Wise National Stance'
Naharnet/December 18/2019
MP Sethrida Geagea of the Lebanese Forces bloc on Wednesday lauded caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s decision to withdraw his nomination for the PM post as a “wise national stance.”Geagea said Hariri rejected to head a government not comprised of experts because it “would not meet the demands of the Lebanese people in this critical period in Lebanon economically and financially.”“I cannot but laud this wise national stance, which reminds us of the stances of martyr premier Rafik Hariri, who used to repeat the ‘no one is bigger than their country’ slogan, and it also reminds us of March 14’s martyrs, from Rafik Hariri to Wissam al-Hassan and Mohammed Shatah,” Geagea added. Commenting on the LF’s announcement that it would not nominate Hariri or any other candidate for the premiership and accusations that “the LF was not loyal to its allies,” Geagea disclosed the details of her phone call with Hariri on Sunday night. “I told him, ‘Your friend is the one who is honest with you, we in the Strong Republic bloc cannot nominate you,’” Geagea said. “This led to postponing Monday’s consultations and his eventual withdrawal from the race, and this has ultimately preserved the patriotic political alignment that he is leading,” the MP went on to say.

Bassil Lauds Hariri's 'Positive Step', Urges Him to Pick 'Credible' Candidate
Naharnet/December 18/2019
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Wednesday lauded caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s decision to withdraw his nomination for the PM post, urging him to suggest a “credible and capable” candidate. “We appreciate the responsible stance that Mr. Prime Minister Saad Hariri took by announcing that he is no longer nominated to head the next government and that he will go to the binding parliamentary consultations tomorrow,” Bassil said in a written statement. “We see in this stance a positive step, which we hope he will complete by suggesting -- in light of his position vis-à-vis the National Pact – a credible and capable figure on whom there can be consensus,” Bassil added. He said the political parties would then seek an agreement with the PM-designate on “the formation of a government that would enjoy the confidence of the people and the influential parliamentary blocs, in addition to the Arab and international communities.” Bassil however criticized Hariri for “putting the country and the people in the face of the unknown through his recent resignation.”The FPM chief also said that Hariri should not have made his choice “in the last moment before the binding parliamentary consultations” and that he should not “demand postponement or seek to impose a date for the consultations as he wishes and in a selective manner that serves his own interest.”Setting a date for the consultations or postponing them is “an exclusive jurisdiction for the President who uses it in a manner that preserves the public interest and the Constitution,” Bassil added.

Lebanese-Australian Brothers Jailed for Etihad Airways Bomb Plot
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Two Lebanese brothers were handed lengthy jail terms in Australia Tuesday for plotting to bring down a Sydney to Abu Dhabi flight with a bomb carried in a meat grinder by their unwitting brother. Brothers Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat, who also hold the Australian nationality, were convicted of terrorism offenses for trying to bomb an Etihad Airways passenger jet in July 2017 under instructions from ISIS. Khaled was sentenced to 40 years with a minimum of 30 years without parole, while Mahmoud received 36 years' jail time and ordered to serve at least 27. The improvised device was to be smuggled inside the luggage of a third, unwitting brother. A fourth brother, who is said to have fought with ISIS in Syria, is accused of directing the plot from overseas. The plan was aborted at the airport when the plotters decided it was too risky to get through customs after airline staff said their bags were overweight. In handing down her sentence, judge Christine Adamson said despite no one being killed, the offenders had succeeded in "creating terror" because the public was made aware of the plot. "The conspiracy to which both offenders were parties plainly envisaged that a large number of people would be killed," she said.

Dr. Mohammad Baydoun a Lebanese-American doctor finds cure for Quadriplegia
Roula Mouawad/Annahar/December 18/2019
BEIRUT: Lebanese-American neuro and brain surgeon Dr. Mohammad Baydoun, found a cure for one of the most complex types of paralysis known as Quadriplegic Paralysis, which is a disease that affects thousands of athletes yearly. Dr. Baydoun’s research was conducted over a period of 5 years on 10 patients. The cure functions by a newly developed technological technique, which functions by the extraction of stem cells from the patient's belly fat and then injecting these into their spinal cord. “The results of our research revealed positive effects on patients. Some patients cured entirely while others saw improvements in some areas of their body,” Dr. Baydoun said. The cure was tested on Chris Parr at Mayo Clinic, who suffered from three years of Quadriplegic Paralysis from his neck to the tips of his toe as a result of a water ski accident. He cured two weeks post-test.
For the surgery to deem effective, Baydoun explained to Annahar that “the spinal cord must be at least a little bit suspended. In the rare cases of complete rupture, patients do not benefit from the cure.”He continued to explain that no patients were harmed during the research. The cure has also shown positive effect on many patients suffering from involuntary urination, defecation, and erection. Dr. Baydoun explained to Annahar that the research is not over yet. The next step includes implementing the method on 40 more patients and the last step includes experimenting technically on a number of patients.
“The research is currently being experimented on patients whose injuries were a result of an accident or strong fall. As for those whose injuries were a result of bullet wounds, for example, these will participate in the coming stages,” Dr. Baydoun explained. “We are using genetic testing, which help us in knowing the condition of each patient more accurately.”
*The article was adapted into English by Chiri Choukeir.

Impoverished Beirut Neighborhood Becomes Starting Point for Attacks on Protesters
Sanaa el-Jack/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
The name of the area al-Khandaq al-Ghameeq near central Beirut has been associated with confrontations with anti-government Lebanese demonstrators who took to the streets on October 17. Their attempts to contain those attacking them from that area were not fruitful, whether through mothers’ marches from neighboring areas, a visit by members of the Tripoli Municipality that emphasized that Lebanese pain is one, or by the protesters’ chants through megaphones against sedition.
Almost one week ago, the Khandaq youth assaults on protesters in central Beirut and their confrontations with the security forces and their use of Molotov, sticks, and stones, dominated the headlines and live coverage, until the events that took place on Tuesday, including burning cars in an attempt to create tensions and force protesters out of Beirut’s squares.
Al-Khandaq al-Ghameeq is located right next to central Beirut and spans from Basta Tahta to Fouad Chehab Bridge, known as Ring. Its buildings carry the marks of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 Civil War and are in apparent contradiction with the fancy buildings next to the financial center.
Mukhtar of Bashoura Mesbah Eido tells Asharq al-Awsat that “al-Khandaq spans 500 meters and ends at the French Hospital that was razed to the ground before the 1975 war started. A real estate company bought it out a while ago but stopped after finding an archaeological area there. Al-Khandaq was a line of contact during the war, ending at the Ring. Inside its neighborhoods, life was normal. A Christian majority and some minorities inhabited the area. The Syriac church is still there under reconstruction, along with Christian properties. This area, however, was invaded by displaced persons during the civil war, who were compensated by the displaced fund and the owners retrieved their properties.”
Al-Khandaq is adjacent to Zaroob al-Haramiye [Thieves Alley] that separated it from Bashoura graveyard, the oldest in Beirut. It is simultaneously famous for comic and horrific stories. Al-Hajj Ali, an elderly from the area, tells Asharq al-Awsat, “These alleys would beat with stories about strong men dominating the entrances to downtown Beirut and would follow leaders’ commands. However, there is a big difference between the movements of the forties and fifties of the last century, where a gallant strong people would help those in need and would protect families, and today’s thugs, hooligans working for their interest or for whoever pays.”
In Eido’s opinion, what is happening from al-Khandaq is “the result of poverty and negligence due to the state’s indifference to the people.”
Mahdi, the owner of a newspaper distribution company, tells Asharq al-Awsat that the protesters’ constant attempts to block the Ring road “harms the people in al-Khandaq as it stops them from entering the area. They have always demanded that the road is blocked from the Ashrafieh side and not theirs, but they were not heard.”
He insists that “people from al-Khandaq are peaceful, but the provocations have gone beyond the limit. Every leader has his group. When social media shows cursing and news of buses from Tripoli and Akkar headed to protect the protesters from al-Khandaq’s residents, motorcycles start gathering, and the young men prepare themselves to defend their rights and dignity.”Mahdi points out that the Sunni families in al-Khandaq are very few, alongside two Christian families predating the civil war.
One of the young men from al-Khandaq does not agree with Mahdi, saying that “the area is Shiite and poor, and the predominant population there is Shiite, mostly unemployed and affiliated with Amal Movement or the Resistance Brigades. However, Hezbollah does not have much dominance there.”
Its young people do not deal with Amal supporters because they are organized and committed to a partisan direction. Amal and the Resistance Brigades assemble, get a call, and mobilize. It’s not important whether they get called by official parties, perhaps they are being mobilized by some fifth column, he says.

Lebanon’s Vital Future Battle
Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/December 18/2019
In contesting the political class, independents must consider the importance of municipal elections.
The uprising in Lebanon has reached a critical stage. Protestors are caught between the euphoria that characterized their demonstrations last October, when people took to the streets, and the need to think about where their movement has to go in the future.
As the country’s financial situation continues to collapse and people lose their jobs, thinking about new forms of dissent and renewal has become a necessity. People are now too preoccupied with the basics of survival to give as much attention to demonstrating, when the priority is to get a government in place that can deal with the international community. But the effort to change Lebanon for the better will not stop, which is why the protest movement has to transform itself into a more lasting challenge to the politicians.
One of the more promising ways it can do so is by focusing on municipal elections, which take place every six years. This was well understood by civil society activists in the last municipal elections of 2016. There are several reasons why engagement in local politics may create valuable openings for those dissatisfied with the status quo.
First of all, municipal councils affect citizens in their everyday life. As the uprising has made clear, the Lebanese revolted largely because they felt that their lives had become an insult, with people paying ever higher prices for deteriorating services. Everything from trash management to green spaces for children to imposing filters on poisonous neighborhood generators are within the remit of municipal councils. If anything can persuade citizens to vote for alternative leaders to their sectarian politicians, it is to offer them the means to dramatically ameliorate their daily surroundings.
Second, municipal councils are not elected on a sectarian basis, even if some cities respect a sectarian balance to ensure that councils are more broadly representative. Why does this matter? Principally, because if councils are less sectarian and are less affected by sectarian considerations, it means, potentially, that they are influenced less by sectarian leaders and parties. More important, because of the limited sectarianism of the councils, sectarian leaders are inclined to view municipal elections as less of a challenge to their communal leadership, giving local councils more latitude to act freely.
Third, and deriving from the second, because municipal elections are not sectarian, they are influenced less by the sectarian impulses among voters. In parliamentary elections, for instance, voters are much more liable to vote on the basis of their sect, regarding their failure to do so as representing a loss for their sectarian community at large. That is why relatively few people voted for civil society candidates in the 2018 parliamentary elections. At the municipal level such considerations have less of an impact, allowing independent candidates to appeal to a wider cross-section of voters.
Fourth, at the municipal level there is often a sense of local solidarity and sense of belonging that make the outcome of elections very unpredictable. The immediacy of the vote and pride in one’s neighborhood, town, or village mean that voters are more likely to be sensitive to personalized messages from candidates looking to persuade them that they can bring improvements to their living conditions. This can cut across party or political loyalties, and if exploited properly can have a major impact on voters’ choices.
The protest movement should begin to prepare for municipal elections in Lebanon’s major cities and towns. Those are the essential targets for 2022. Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, Tyre, like Nabatiyyeh, Bourj Hammoud, Bint Jbeil, and Zahleh are all places in need of municipal reinforcement or revival. Why the larger areas? Because it is more difficult for the government to starve such places of funds were it to regard independent municipal councils as a threat to the domination of sectarian leaders. Equally important, successful municipal management of larger agglomerations would enhance the credibility of independent figures to manage national institutions when voters have to decide for whom to vote in parliamentary elections.
Elections in 2022 are some time away. Yet this gives independent civil society groups time to prepare the groundwork for municipal elections. Moreover, given these groups’ comparative advantage in understanding realities on the ground and in building networks within society, this time can be well spent. This is particularly true in Beirut, the richest and shadiest of municipalities. Concerned independents can begin organizing now, perhaps by acting as a shadow government in the capital, keeping the current council under persistent and public scrutiny, while meeting with Beirutis and asking them how they would really like to see their city improve.
The battle to reclaim Lebanon will be a long one. The sectarian leaders and their followers will continue to fight to maintain themselves. But with a major financial breakdown looming and the old order transparently bankrupt, now is the time to take advantage of a national mood in the country that is ready to consider more competent leaders who have the population’s interests at heart. It’s best not to challenge the sectarian leaders head on too soon, so that independent forces have the space to organize and build up a support base. That is why a major focus down the road should be on municipal elections, where the Lebanese can exploit the vitality of the local.

The Lebanese Revolution and the Four Dragons
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Lebanon’s streets have witnessed unprecedented violence over the past few nights. Some observers and activists expected this scene to be repeated and repression to increase, before and after the nomination of a prime minister, and even in isolation of it.
If it is true that we are still very far from the Iraqi numbers, all hope is that we will not get close to them. The extent of intransigence facing the revolution’s complex and thorny attempt is not simple.
It is enough to enumerate the four main enemies, which, on October 17, the Lebanese men and women chose to unite against and challenge their hegemony.
First, we find the “neo-liberal” economy, which is represented today by the bank.
The latter, which is robbing public money through activities that are further fueled by the interference of the political group and the banking community, is now looting individuals, one by one, with no barriers whatsoever.
However, the bank is not a marginal detail in the composition of the Lebanese economy. Lebanon has lived for a long time, and in the eyes of many, as a great bank for which Michel Shiha composed ideas, just as the Rahbani brothers composed songs.
The centralization of the bank has practically developed in the past thirty years. Its economic weight has increased, so did its recognition in the prevailing policy and convictions. The bank’s challenge in its current form involves reconsidering the structure of the Lebanese pillaging of the economy itself, and its operation methods.
Here - unlike the many contradictions among the ruling group - we find pure unity against the “neo-liberal” system.
The second dragon is sectarianism. It is the conscience of the country and the pillar of its ideology, since 1860, in the Moutassarifiah of Mount Lebanon and as of 1920, with the establishment of Greater Lebanon.
But sectarianism is not just a conscience. Without it, politics and national economy cannot be understood. Without it, one cannot explain the country’s many wars and little peace. Many intellectuals - the most prominent of whom is Kamal Youssef al-Hajj – have praised its virtues and blessings.
Today, for the first time since 1860, we are witnessing the greatest separation between confessionalism and the people. The system of “misinformation” that prevailed due to the power of sectarianism is no longer operational.
Third, there is Hezbollah, which represents a poisoned extension of the sectarian composition: After many experiences in using minimal violence to improve a sectarian position with the “national coexistence”, the “party” showed its ability to use maximum violence to subdue this “coexistence.” Its foreign relations were an extension to the policies of a certain sect. Today, its national policy merged with the Iranian foreign project in an inextricably tight manner…Hezbollah nowadays represents the sword of sectarianism.
In 2005, when most Lebanese accused Syria’s Bashar al-Assad of assassinating ex-PM Rafik Hariri, that party (which was not accused at the time) prevented the completion of the unity of the Lebanese position.
Now the same thing is happening again. The party is preventing a large sect from joining the revolution, while granting the dilapidated ruling authority a power that it does not possess.
In the fourth place, there is the climate of counter-revolution in the Arab world. This climate is the most poisonous in Syria, blowing its winds on Lebanon, and against the Lebanese revolution.
What Beirut is experiencing today says that Bashar Assad has not accomplished his mission yet.
Here lies one of the sources of hatred that Assad’s supporters rely on in their hostility to the Lebanese revolution. They fear that the gains they made through Iranian and Russian support on Syrian soil, would be lost in Baghdad and Beirut.
The four dragons that are being targeted by the Lebanon revolution underline the difficult and heroic task. This explains how the ruling parties seek to expand coordination and integration among them, starting with the tight security control witnessed over the past few days.
Perhaps the current revolution will be defeated. But what is certain is that fighting the four dragons will be a long-term task, which one generation will pass to another.

Hezbollah, Blood Diamond and the End of an Era
Elizabeth A. Harris/The New York Times/December 18/2019
The sanctions emitted by the treasury department on the blood diamond converted art dealer Nazem Said Ahmad are part of a systematic policy targeting the money laundering mechanisms mounted by the Hezbollah around the globe. This US policy, far from being a novelty connected to the Trump administration crackdown on Hezbollah’s financial networks, goes back to two decades of tracking, pinpointing and sanctioning policies set by the successive administration ( Barbara Newman, Tom Diaz, Lightening out of Lebanon, Presidio Press 2005, Matthew Levitt, Hezbollah, the Global Footprints of Lebanon’s Party of God, Georgetown University Press, 2013,.... ). The determination on pursuing and dismantling the global underground economy of the Hezbollah, means that the ectoplasmic growth of an illegal and subversion geared economic and financial networks is unlikely to be overlooked and tolerated by the US and Western democracies. Hezbollah is confronted with the thresholds of an overstretched subversion strategy operating on the interstices of a global financial system based on illegal transactions, laundered financial proceeds, and an interlocked network of illegal operators. The system is thoroughly scanned and its reticular nodes are well identified and the battle to break it down is engaged. The attempt of Hezbollah at engulfing Lebanon and transforming it into an appendage to an overall subversion strategy, compares to the strive of al Qaida to remodel Sudan and Afghanistan into platforms of global terror. This is unlikely to happen, for multiple considerations, which owe to Lebanon’s multicultural societal texture, cosmopolitan openness and Western Democratic proclivities, in other words, Lebanon is not a landlocked wasteland located on the crossroads between South and Central Asia.
The spirited civic rebellion in Lebanon is the concrete rebuttal of Hezbollah’s ideological claims, and the antithetical model to what it is trying to promote, and its ability to smother the libertarian cultural and political ambit and impose his ideological script are nought. Therefore, it has to re-examine its political predicates, overall political strategy, normalize and join the chorus of political accommodation mandated by a consociational and liberal democracy. The ventures of economic and political brinkmanship, and the eccentricities of a delusional political wasteland should be reconsidered, unless Hezbollah is adamant about adopting a suicidal political course. The intricate enmeshing with the Shiite communitarian tapestry in Lebanon and abroad elicits a configuration of unintended consequences that are already weighing on its different workings, civic statuses and fortunes of its members. Different Shiite communities, in Lebanon and worldwide, should carefully consider the impact and hazards of political ghettoization, economic delinquency and subversion politics and their global geopolitical mapping, caveat emptor.

Lebanese families find feast plans curtailed or canceled this year
TK Maloy and Ghadir Hamadi/Annahar/December 18/2019
In related economic news affecting holiday moods, 60 companies have filed with the Ministry of Labor plans to close and were filing formal notice in order to pay approved wages and indemnities.
BEIRUT: Most often held at home, with grandma and grandpa presiding over an extended family, there is a sumptuous table set with mesa, tabouli, lubia, tawouk, sea bass, turkey, filet, and then the cake which can often defy description with their varied flavors -- from almond, to vanilla, chocolate and more -- and all super for leftover’s.
By many accounts of those families interviewed, this year – like last year – is one of belt-tightening, but even more so.
“Oh yes, have the family, just not so many cousins or couples, it’s not a lack of generosity, it’s a lack of funds,” said one shopper at a well-known delicatessen. “Every year, my family and I would hold a dinner party for our extended family,” Sami Rahhal, a taxi driver told Annahar. However, this year the family has decided to cancel its annual dinner, and turn it into a casual gathering with coffee and light snacks.
Tahani Osman, a mother of three children who are now working in the Gulf, said that she would be flying to Dubai, where she and her kids would meet up. “We won’t be going out or spending ridiculous sums of money, like we had previously done, on fine dines and extravagant New Years’ parties. This year, we’ll enjoy each other’s company, with traditional home-made food at home,” Osman told Annahar.
Others have decided to not let the circumstances that the country is going through stop them from partying all night on New Years’.
“I won’t cancel my New Year plans simply because Lebanon is going through a rough phase,” Makram Bark told Annahar. “Lebanon was never in a good place, just look at our history, so we might as well make the most out of the last night in this year,” he added.
The spirit of giving marks off the holiday season and some have decided to spend their holidays doing something truly altruistic.
“After I received a salary cut of over 50%, I can finally say that I understand the fear of not knowing what tomorrow might bring,” school teacher Nadia Maarouf said. After this rough year, Maarouf decided that there's no better way to spend her holiday than volunteering at an orphanage, and “drawing a smile on the face of those in need, and whose life was already hard before the economic crisis had worsened,” she noted.
As for those families, opting to go out and leave the cooking and cleaning to other hands – never a bad idea, there are many fewer options for eating this year.
According to the Syndicate of Owners and Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-Clubs, and Pastry Shops approximately 265 restaurants have closed in the past two months in Lebanon, and by the end of the year, another 200 are expected to shut down for a total of 466 eateries having gone out of business in Lebanon as 2019, based on the economic situation.
In a previous statement issued prior to the start of the October 17 Revolution, the Syndicate had warned that the increased taxes along with the chaotic social, economic, and environmental conditions, were all affecting purchasing power.
The statement added that owners typically await the upcoming festive season to increase their profit margins, but so far the situation seems to be getting worse.
The syndicate encouraged the political ruling class to “be responsible” and form a government capable of improving living conditions and the economic situation for all.
The statement added that owners typically await the upcoming festive season to increase their profit margins, but so far the situation seems to be getting worse, encouraging the political ruling class to “be responsible” and form a government that would improve living conditions throughout Lebanon.
In related economic news affecting holiday moods, 60 companies have filed with the Ministry of Labor plans to close and were filing formal notice in order to pay approved wages and indemnities.
Tony Haddad, an engineer working for half wage, said that his family might be broke by New Year, but every holiday season, the entire Diaspora clan comes home to Lebanon from Saudi, Dubai, America, Canada, and France – and there's no way not to throw a big feed for the entire family from new babies to Jeddos and Tetas, and with that much help, there will be lots of good eats on the table.
He left the supermarket carrying a Butterball Turkey over one shoulder and bags of chestnuts, aubergines, and several bottles of arrack all stuffed in an old knapsack over the other shoulder.
Striding down the avenue, he began to whistle loudly “Jingle bells” bringing smiles from everyone nearby, which seem to mean so much more, given that times were so much tighter this year.

Lebanon’s Filipino community prepares for a difficult Christmas
Sunniva Rose/The National/December 18/2019
Salaries of Filipino workers have dropped sharply in value with the Lebanese crisis, forcing many to leave
Singing in Filipino to the strumming of two guitars, the voice of over a hundred women rose softly in St Joseph’s church in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The singing gave in to laughter as the priest, during his homily, told his congregation the story of St Joseph’s annunciation with punchlines that included a quote from American popstar Beyoncé’s song “Listen”.
The Filipino Catholic tradition of Simbang Gabi, or the celebration of an early morning mass for nine consecutive days before Christmas, was revived in Lebanon in 2017 with the arrival of Father Henry Ponce, the first Jesuit Filipino priest to officiate in the small Mediterranean country.
It brings comfort to Filipino women who work as domestic workers in difficult conditions that have recently worsened as Lebanon struggles with its worst economic crisis since the end of the civil war in 1990.
“I did not expect that people would come to church in higher numbers than last year considering the current circumstances,” Father Ponce told The National. “But I speak their language. They feel connected.”
Since the summer, Lebanon has faced a liquidity and imports shortage. The economic crisis pushed the Lebanese to the streets in protest on October 17, but the political class remains paralysed, with no government since late October.
Migrant workers, including Filipinos, have been hit particularly hard by the crisis.
In addition to losing their jobs or being asked to work part time, it has become increasingly difficult for them to send their salaries to the Philippines.
Most of them are the main breadwinners of their families, sending at least half, if not all, of their income back home.
As Lebanese Pounds are worthless outside of the country, the money transfer has to remain in US dollars despite employers being forced to pay salaries in the local currency since banks restricted access to dollars in early November.
Several Filipino domestic workers said that money transfer companies have imposed a $300 dollar monthly cap, in addition to demanding that fees – between $5 and $10 dollars – be paid in dollars as well.
In parallel, the switch to Lebanese Pounds has caused salaries all over the country to lose around 30 per cent of their value as the price of the dollar has shot up on the black market, where it is traded on average for 2,000 Lebanese Pounds.
The situation is unprecedented since the Lebanese Pound was pegged to the dollar in 1997 at an exchange rate of 1,507.5 Lebanese Pounds to the dollar. The peg is still officially in place.
For many Filipinos, the struggle is not worth it anymore.
Minda Mendez, 38, took advantage of her embassy’s offer earlier this month to cover repatriation costs for its citizens, including the plane ticket and penalties incurred for overstaying their visas.
This was the first time that the embassy made such a move since the 2006 war between Lebanese Iran-backed group Hezbollah and Israel, the Filipino ambassador, Bernaditat Catalia, told The National. She said she expected around 1,500 people to benefit from the programme. A first group of Filipinos should leave before Christmas.
“I feel happy. I can take my first real holiday in 10 years,” said Mrs Mendez, who is set to travel in February 2020, as she shared with dozens of other women a bowl of Filipino noodles and cake at St Joseph Church after Simbang Gabi mass.
Without the embassy’s help, Mrs Mendez would have had to cough up a penalty of $200, which is nearly equivalent to an entire month’s wage, before leaving the country. Her employer did not renew her residency permit last year.
Labour conditions in Lebanon are so poor that the Philippines banned its citizens from working there in 2007, but this did not deter women like Mrs Mendez. Salaries in Lebanon are comparatively higher.
Mrs Mendez arrived in 2009 via Thailand and Bahrain with the help of an illegal recruitment agency in the Philippines which coordinated with another agency in Lebanon.
There are 34,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, the fourth biggest migrant community behind Ethiopians, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans.
The Filipino embassy is the only one that has set up a free repatriation programme. The Bangladeshi embassy told The National in an email that Lebanon's General Security, which deals with immigration issues, gave permission to its citizens who do not have a valid residency permit to go home after paying a one-year penalty only, or $200. For Filipino women who have been abused by their employers, free repatriation represents a lifeline.
As she filled out the necessary forms at the Filipino embassy on December 9, Renaline Andres de la Cruz, 36, could barely hide her tears of relief.
When she arrived in 2006, her first employer physically abused her and did not legalise her situation with the Lebanese authorities. After she died, Mrs de la Cruz worked illegally for several years.
“Really, I’m a good person, but my employer left me,” she repeated. “At least now I can rest. My sisters have graduated from college in the Philippines. I will have no more problems and will open a simple business.”
Under Lebanon’s Kafala system, migrant workers do not have labour rights.
“With the crisis, their situation is even worse. They have very little legal recourse if they are not paid or if their wages are reduced and can only change employer twice, which is very difficult because they need their consent,” said Zeina Ammar, advocacy and communications manager at the anti-racism movement, a Lebanese grassroots collective which collaborates with migrant workers.
But going home is not as easy as it sounds. “They have to do a cost benefit analysis. Either go back home where the situation was bad enough to push them to leave in the first place or stay here and suffer from the financial situation which will only get worse,” said Mrs Ammar.
Father Ponce told The National that many Filipinos also feel ashamed to return home empty-handed after having supported their families for years.
“When you start sending dollars, people in the Philippines think you have made a lot of money. But it’s really not that easy, especially for those who have been victimised by human trafficking,” he said.
Some, like Mrs Mendez, are travelling back to the Philippines only to start searching for a job in another country once again.
She needs to continue supporting her parents and her son, now 13 years old. In ten years, she has only seen him in person once. The rest of the time, they speak through Facebook.
As per Filipino tradition, every person that attends the nine masses of the Simbang Gabi can make a wish. When Father Ponce asked Mrs Mendez what she wished for, her answer was simple: “something good for my family.”

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 18-19/2019
Trump administration won't call mass killing of Armenians a genocide despite congressional resolutions
Jennifer Hansler, CNN/December 18/2019
(CNN)The Trump administration still does not view the mass killing of Armenians from 1915-1923 as genocide, despite overwhelming bipartisan support by US lawmakers to formally recognize it as such. In a statement released Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said the administration has not changed its position on the matter. "Our views are reflected in the President's definitive statement on this issue from last April," Ortagus said. In that statement, which commemorated "Armenian Remembrance Day," President Donald Trump called the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire that took place from 1915 to 1923 "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century."
"We pledge to learn from past tragedies so as to not to repeat them. We welcome the efforts of Armenians and Turks to acknowledge and reckon with their painful history," Trump said in the statement. The statement did not mention genocide, but did recognize the man who coined the term -- Raphael Lemkin -- for his work seeking "to ensure atrocities like this would not be repeated." Last week, the Senate passed a resolution to designate the mass killings as a genocide, describing it as "the killing of an estimated 1,500,000 Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923." It passed by unanimous consent after Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, brought it up for consideration on the floor. Under Senate rules, legislation can pass by unanimous consent without a roll call vote as long as no senator objects. Prior to its passage, the Trump administration had asked Republican senators to block the unanimous consent request several times on the grounds that it could undercut negotiations with Turkey. The House of Representatives passed the resolution recognizing the genocide in October.
The approval of the resolution drew outrage from Turkey, which denies that the events of 1915 that led to the mass killing of Armenians constitute a genocide. The Turks contend that closer to 300,000 Armenians were killed. In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the resolution "devoid of historical awareness and any legal base" and damaging to US-Turkey relations. On Friday, US Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield was summoned by the Foreign Ministry over the passage of the resolution. On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close, "if necessary," two US military bases in Turkey in response to the genocide resolution and potential US sanctions over his country's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system. In a televised interview, Erdogan called the resolution "completely political," and warned the US "not take irreparable steps in our relations."
CNN's Clare Foran, Phil Mattingly and Jonny Hallam contributed to this report.

President Trump’s impeachment is a matter of party politics
DebkaFile/December 18/2019
The Democratic-led US House voting on Dec. 18 to impeach President Donald Trump finds him guilty of “abuse of power.” For the Republicans, he has done nothing wrong and they command enough Senate votes to acquit him.
Although impeachment by the House is an unpleasant blow for President Trump, he can console himself with the 6pc rise of his approval rating since the Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry against him for alleged abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of the Congress probe by withholding witnesses. The vote later Wednesday night, Dec. 18, was to be preceded by six hours of debate, three hours each for Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats have the majority they need in the House to impeach President Trump. A Senate trial would begin in January. But with the Republicans in control, he can expect to be acquitted by a two-thirds vote. Only two US presidents have ever been impeached – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton – and neither was removed by the Senate. Ahead of the vote, the president sent a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the moving spirit behind the impeachment initiative, calling the House inquiry a partisan “crusade,” an “unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power” and a “spiteful” “election-nullification scheme.” At the same time, Trump’s prospects for re-election in 2020 are looking up. According to the latest Gallup poll released on Wednesday, his job approval rating stands at 45pc, boosted by 6pc since the impeachment proceedings were launched by the rival Democrats in autumn. Gallup also found that 89pc of Republicans approve of Trumps performance on the job and only 8pc of Democrats disagree. While fuming over the impeachment move, Trump goes into the 2020 campaign bucked by strong economic news: 250,000 jobs were added in November and 57pc of Americans said they were better off financially since he took office. He has also reached a “Phase 1” trade deal with China and expects a $200bn boost in exports from the deal over two years.

Putin, Erdogan Discuss Libya
Ankara - Saeed Abdelrazek/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held on Tuesday a phone conversation, their second in a week, to discuss the developments in Libya. Turkish presidential sources said their talks focused on the developments in Libya, in addition to the situation in Syria, and relations between Turkey and Russia.The head of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahçeli, announced his support to the Turkish government to send military aid to Libya to back the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj. The Nationalist Movement is allied with Erdogan’s ruling AK party. Bahceli’s announcement comes amid reports on intense efforts by Turkey to send troops and arms to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and to establish a military base there similar to the Turkish base set up in Qatar. The expected move would come in line with a security and military cooperation deal struck between Turkey and the GNA in Istanbul on November 27. On Saturday, Turkey sent the bilateral accord with the GNA to its parliament for approval.

Dubai Police Arrest Leader of 'Angels of Death' Organization
Dubai - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Dubai police announced this week the arrest of the head of a dangerous criminal gang listed by the Interpol. The Dutch authorities described the man named Radwan Tagi as the most dangerous criminal in the Netherlands. According to the Directory General of Dubai Police, Tagi, 41, is the leader of the notorious organization "Angels of Death". Many international arrest warrants were issued against Taghi last year. The police said the suspect was arrested after he had entered the UAE using the identity of another man. According to Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, Taghi entered the UAE via Dubai International Airport, using official documents (official passport and travel visa) and the ID card of another person. He came from the Netherlands and managed to enter the UAE before the concerned authorities in his country issue an arrest warrant, Marri said.He lived in a residential area in Dubai without being involved in any criminal activity. Taghi sought the help of associates of different nationalities to meet his daily living needs. The Commander in Chief of the Dutch Police, Eric Akerbaum, thanked the UAE authorities and Dubai police for their cooperation and efforts in tracking Taghi and arresting him. This cooperation reflects the great impact of the concerted efforts of police agencies in combating organized crime around the world, he noted. Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jallaf, director of Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said the difficulties faced by the Dutch authorities to arrest Taghi, led them to announce a reward of €100,000 for any information on him. The criminal will be referred to the concerned authorities and the necessary legal measures will be taken against him, he noted.

Congress Rejects Funding ‘Deal of the Century’
Washington - Rana Abtar/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
The US Congress has rejected a request from the Trump administration to devote $175 million to a special fund that could have supported the White House's Mideast peace plan. The budget agreement reached on Monday by congressional leaders from both parties includes a direct rejection of the request. In a section devoted to the Middle East, the Congressional document states: “The agreement does not provide $175 million for a Diplomatic Progress Fund, as proposed in the House report.”Several Congress members said this rejection is due to the absence of a clear plan for the Deal of the Century to date. Some have even ruled out announcing an actual plan any time soon. In March, the White House sent its budget proposal to Congress, including a request for $175 million for a “Diplomatic Progress Fund between Israelis and Palestinians.”The White House document explained that this fund was necessary in order to provide “flexibility” in the administration’s Middle East policy, in case of a progress toward regional peace. This sum could potentially be invested in aid to the Palestinians in case the Trump administration decides to unfreeze almost all US aid to the Palestinians, it had cut over the past two years, including funds for civilian and educational projects, as well as for hospitals. The budget request in March showed that the administration wanted to have money that would be set aside and be available in case ties with the Palestinians improved. The US administration has excluded the security aid it provides to the Palestinian Authority's security forces, which coordinates with the Israeli army to avoid attacks. This indicates that if the White House decides to release aid, it can allocate certain amounts within reserves from previous budgets. The Congress’ decision reflects its differences with the White House in regards to the peace process. The House of Representatives early this month passed a draft resolution supporting the two-state solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Democratic-led House voted 226 to 188.The resolution says that only a two-state solution can both ensure Israel’s survival as a Jewish state and fulfill the Palestinians’ “legitimate aspirations” for their own state.

Israel Approves Gas Exports to Egypt
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/December 18/2019
Israel has approved the export of gas from its offshore reserves to Egypt, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, with a major reservoir expected to begin operations imminently. The Monday approval by Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz was part of a long process under which Israel will transform from an importer of natural gas from Egypt into an exporter and potential regional energy player. "Exporting gas to Egypt, from Leviathan and Tamar (fields), is the most significant economic cooperation between Israel and Egypt since the peace treaty was signed between the states," Steinitz said.
It will be the first time Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace accord with Israel, imports gas from its neighbour. US-based Noble and Israel's Delek, the consortium leading the development of the two offshore reservoirs, struck a $15 billion 10-year deal last year with Egypt's Dolphinus to supply 64 billion cubic metres (2.26 trillion cubic feet). Israel had previously bought gas from Egypt, but land sections of the pipeline were targeted multiple times by Sinai jihadists in 2011 and 2012. Soaring demand also meant Egypt could use its gas domestically. Tamar, which began production in 2013, has estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic metres (8.4 trillion cubic feet). Israel's neighbour to the east, Jordan, has been purchasing gas from Tamar on a small scale for nearly three years. Leviathan, discovered in 2010, is estimated to hold 535 billion cubic metres (18.9 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas, along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate. Leviathan is expected to be operational in "a matter of days", a spokeswoman for Delek told AFP, with exports to Egypt set to begin on January 1. The large volume of the Egyptian deal would make Israel "an important partner in the regional energy economy," Steinitz said. "The natural gas revolution has made us an energy superpower and will not only provide huge income to the state but also a significant reduction in air pollution."Besides being energy independent, Israel hopes its gas reserves will enable it to strengthen strategic ties in the region and help forge new ones, with an eye on the European market. Natural gas is set to replace coal as the fuel generating electricity in Israel's power plants.Critics note that while less polluting than coal, gas is still far from being a clean source of energy.

US Congress passes defense bill with tough measures on Turkey
By Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English Wednesday, 18 December 2019
The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass a bipartisan $738 billion defense policy bill on Tuesday which included the prohibition of Turkey from participating in the American F-35 fighter jet program and called for sanctions on Ankara to be imposed. The bill worsens the already tense relationship between the US and Turkey, both members of international military alliance NATO. In July the US government removed Turkey from the F-35 program over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 defense system, which Washington says is not compatible with NATO defenses and poses a threat to its F-35 jets. The bill reaffirmed Turkey’s removal from the program. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the US legislation on Tuesday, calling the bill harmful to the improvement of Turkish-US relations.“This bill demonstrates that the Congress persists in disrespecting Turkey’s sovereign decisions and in adopting an irrational hostile attitude by unfairly blocking our participation to the F-35 program,” the ministry said in a statement. Known as the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill also ends a decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus. The US embargo intended to encourage conflict resolution on the island which has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a coup engineered by the then military regime in Athens. Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the US decision to end the embargo, saying it “will have no outcome other than hampering efforts towards a settlement on the island and creating a dangerous escalation.”
The US House of Representatives passed the Act, 377-48, a week earlier. With the bill passing both chambers of US Congress, President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. Relations between Ankara and Washington are at one of the lowest points in recent history.
On Thursday US Congress formally recognized the 1915-1917 murder of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks as genocide, an accusation strongly denied by Turkey.

LNA Threatens Turkey, Italy Rules Out Military Solution
Cairo - Khalid Mahmoud/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
The spokesman for the Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has threatened Turkey to defeat it and foil any attempt for military support to the Government of National Accord (GNA) that is headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. LNA spokesman Ahmed Mesmari said "Sarraj sold Libya to Turkey" after striking a military and security deal with Ankara last month. The army won’t allow foreign troops in the country, said Mesmari, adding Libya “is not Qatar, which has been occupied by Turkey through its bases.”Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has reiterated his country's backing for the GNA in his first visit to the Libyan capital since his appointment. The Italian official reaffirmed that “there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis” and that Italy backs UN-brokered efforts for political solutions. He made his remarks during talks with Sarraj in Tripoli. The Italian minister expressed hope that an international conference on Libya set to be held in Berlin in January, according to the UN, could lead to a "consensus" between countries involved in the Libyan crisis, a GNA statement said. Sarraj hailed Italy's support for his government, saying all countries involved in the Libyan crisis should be invited to the conference. On Thursday, Haftar urged his forces to advance towards the center of Tripoli in what he said would be the "final battle" for the capital. He launched an offensive in April to take Tripoli from the GNA. A prominent LNA officer told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the armed forces are about to seize the military academy. “Zero hour doesn’t mean seizing the capital on the same day of Haftar’s announcement,” said the officer who requested anonymity.

Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel, Facebook of Repressing Palestinians
Tel Aviv - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019 -
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel and its military courts of violating the freedoms of Palestinian generations in the occupied West Bank. “Israel’s efforts to justify depriving Palestinians of basic civil rights protections for more than half a century based on the exigencies of its forever military occupation just don’t fly anymore,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division at HRW. “Given Israel’s long-term control over Palestinians, it should at minimum allow them to exercise the same rights it grants its own citizens, regardless of the political arrangement in place.”
The law of occupation permits occupiers to restrict some civil rights in the early days of an occupation based on limited security justifications, but sweeping restrictions are unjustified and unlawful after five decades, the organization said in a report released on Tuesday.
The international law governing military occupation requires Israel as the occupier to restore “public life” for the occupied Palestinian population. That obligation increases in a prolonged occupation such as Israel’s, as the International Committee of the Red Cross and Israeli Supreme Court have said and the Israeli government itself has acknowledged, according to the report. The Palestinian population’s needs have increased over the decades while Israel has done far too little to develop more narrowly tailored responses to countering security threats that minimize rights restrictions, it said. HRW also highlights a new trend by Facebook aggressively confronting aspects of Palestinian activity on social media. Prosecutors have cited the broad definition of incitement under Israeli military law to criminalize speech advocating resistance to the occupation, even when it does not call for violence. For example, they used the charge to justify detaining a 43-year-old activist, Nariman Tamimi, over a livestream she posted to Facebook of an encounter between her then-16-year-old daughter Ahed and Israeli soldiers in her front yard in December 2017.

World Youth Forum Concludes With Resolutions on Immigration, Mediterranean Cooperation
Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt)- Mohamed Nabil Helmy/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi concluded the works of the third edition of the World Youth Forum on Tuesday, with resolutions that tackled partnerships with similar international platforms and the establishment of the Mediterranean Youth Forum to enhance cooperation between Mediterranean countries. The forum, which was held in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh in South Sinai over a period of 4 days, gathered 7,000 participants and 150 speakers of various nationalities. The final decisions included the launching of the “Survival Ships” initiative to raise awareness of the dangers of “illegal immigration”, as well as to “create an international center to integrate affected youth in post-conflict areas.” Highlighting the importance of working to achieve development and technological goals, Sisi announced the establishment of a “regional center for artificial intelligence” and the launching of “an international documentary film competition aimed at promoting and highlighting the United Nations development goals.”During the last day of the conference, local media broadcast a recorded meeting between the Egyptian President and a number of young people from different nationalities. “[Terrorism] has sought over the past years to disrupt Egypt’s energy to move forward”, Sisi said, adding: “No project based on terrorism and destruction can succeed... The only project that can succeed is the one based on work, construction, development, and peace.”As Egypt will soon hand over the presidency of the African Union to South Africa in February, Sisi touched on Cairo’s intention to complete its efforts on the Dark Continent, stressing that his country would continue to seek solutions to the existing crises.

Riyadh, Washington Discuss Means of Recovering Looted State Funds
Abu Dhabi- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
Head of the Saudi National Anti-Corruption Commission Mazen al-Kahmous discussed with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) James Walsh means of cooperation in the field of recovering looted state funds. This comes in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which promotes the fight against corruption and the protection of public funds. Riyadh looks forward to prosecute corrupts and hold them accountable and return looted funds to the public treasury, to emphasize the principle of the rule of law. Kahmous also discussed with Walsh a number of topics of common interest on the sidelines of the eighth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC/COSP8) currently being held in Abu Dhabi from Dec.16 till 20. The meeting was attended by Assistant to the President of the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority for International Cooperation Dr. Nasser AbalKhail, Senior Adviser to the Authority’s president Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Dawood, and a number of the Authority's specialists participating in the conference. In this context, Kahmous discussed with President of the UAE State Audit Institution (SAI) Harib al-Amimi means of bilateral cooperation in the field of fighting corruption and protecting integrity. The Saudi official has earlier participated along with his delegation in the conference’s activities and said the Kingdom has developed its vision 2030 and put governance, transparency, integrity, and anti-corruption as its main pillars. “Saudi efforts in the field of international cooperation were not limited to mere agreements and memoranda of understanding,” Kahmous stressed. “It, however, prioritized bolstering efforts to combat corruption and protect integrity in the G20, being the group's president for the year 2020.”It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption on 9 January 2004 and ratified it on 23 January 2013 pursuant to Royal Decree No. M5. This conference is considered the most important among those concerned with combating corruption and promoting integrity and transparency since the number of states parties to the agreement amounts to more than 185. It aims at boosting international cooperation, evaluating legislation related to fighting corruption, and enhancing integrity and transparency and means of developing them.

Kuwait's New Govt: New Ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Three Female Ministers
Kuwait- Merza al-Khuwaldi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
After approximately one month of assigning Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah as a prime minister, he revealed the new government's lineup on Tuesday. It included seven new ministers, among them three females. After the swearing-in, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged the new government to abide by the constitution and to protect public money.
“This cannot be fulfilled without hard work, supportive team spirit and fruitful and constructive cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities,” he said.
The Emir continued: “You have a major responsibility towards the nation and the citizen, especially at this important stage.”
Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Anas Khaled Nasser Al-Saleh was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.
Khaled Nasser Al-Roudhan was named Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mohammad Nasser Al-Jabri as Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth affairs, Dr. Basel Humoud Al-Sabah as Minister of Health, and Dr. Fahad Mohammad Al-Afasi as Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.
Dr. Khaled Ali Al-Fadhel was appointed Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water, Mariam Aqeel Al-Aqeel was named Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of State for Economic Affairs, and Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Rana Abdullah Al-Fares was named Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, Dr. Saud Hilal Al-Harbi was appointed Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, and Dr. Ghadeer Mohammad Aseeri as Minister of Social Affairs.
Mubarak Salem Al-Harees was appointed Minister of State for Services' Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs and Waleed Khalifa Al-Jassem as Minister of State for Municipal Affairs.
The previous government resigned on Nov. 14 over accusations of wasting public money and disputes among the ministers. Kuwait’s Emir assigned on Nov. 19 Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah to form a new government.
The first task of the new PM is to tackle corruption. Notably, Kuwait ranked 78 globally and last in the Gulf on the level of Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2018.
For his part, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim expressed hope that the new PM and his ministerial team will succeed in facing the challenges and achieving the Kuwaitis’ ambitions.
In his statement to the press, he affirmed cooperating with the PM within the constitution and the state’s laws. Ghanim added that the PM bears full responsibility for his choices in the lineup, wishing him luck in overcoming the challenges. The Speaker clarified that the first session will be on December 24 so that the government can swear-in in front of the national assembly. In her first comment after assigning her as Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Aqeel revealed that the coming period requires more cooperation and combining efforts among development partners in the public-private sectors and the civil community. She also stressed cooperating with the National Assembly deputies for the sake of pushing development in the country and accomplishing the Kuwait Vision 2035.

Low Aspirin Doses Protect Overweight People from Colon Cancer
Cairo - Hazem Badr/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 18 December, 2019
The link between aspirin intake and a lower cancer risk is not a new discovery. But, a recent US study found that aspirin could also protect overweight people from colon cancer. The link first appeared in 2012, in a research paper that analyzed over 100 studies. The paper published in The Lancet journal showed that "the regular intake of Aspirin could reduce the risk of many types of cancer."Three years later, another research paper published in the Annals of Oncology journal found that people aged 50 to 65 who consumed Aspirin over 10 years showed a relatively lower risk of cancer – 7 percent in women and 9 percent in men. However, the recent study published in the American Medical Association journal in December, said aspirin should be taken three times a week, and found that protective effect appears particularly pronounced among people who are overweight. According to the study authors, low-dose aspirin reduced overall cancer death risk by 15 percent and all-cause death by 19 percent among more than 146,000 people who participated in a cancer screening trial conducted between 1993 and 2008.
Overweight folks also experienced a marked decline in their risk of death from gastrointestinal cancer (28 percent) and colon cancer (34 percent).
In a report published on the institute's website on December 4, Researcher Holli Loomans-Kropp, a cancer prevention fellow with the US National Cancer Institute, said: "Our primary focus was really on colorectal cancer deaths, since there's a lot of evidence to suggest that aspirin use may lower risk of gastrointestinal deaths."The study results support the standing recommendation of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which says people 50 to 59 should take low-dose aspirin to prevent colon cancer if they're not at increased risk for bleeding.
Daily aspirin use as a preventive health measure has become controversial over the past few years, however.
Remarkably, the new study recommended people to take Aspirin three times a week to avoid the negative effects underscored in another US study, which found that excessive intake of aspirin could cause ulcers. The former study carried out by researchers at Harvard University examined data by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2017, and found that over half of the US population, aged 70 years and above, who didn't suffer from heart diseases or strokes (around 10 million people), take Aspirin on daily bases to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
In their study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal in July, the researchers recommended doctors to ask their patients about their aspirin intake. Dr. Ali Ezz al-Arab, liver cancer consultant, said people should consult their physician before adopting the new recommendations and taking aspirin three times a week. "A person should undergo an upper GI endoscopy to determine whether he suffers from gastritis or not, as aspirin intake by people with gastritis could cause ulcers," Ezz al-Arab told Asharq Al-Awsat. Commenting on the new findings, the liver cancer consultant said: "Overweight people are more likely to develop colon cancer, so they are the most benefiting from the recommendations of this new study."

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 18-19/2019
Iraq: The Triad of Army, People, and Marja
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al Awsat/December 18/2019
Al-Sistani’s meeting with a group of casualties from the Iraqi army has stirred much controversy. In the interim between their visit and announcing that visit many highly calculated and multi-dimensional messages were intended by this Najafi religious authority to the interior and the outside.
In terms of form, this is the second time in history that the top Shiite cleric or Marja, Ali al-Sistani, appears in a recorded video. The first time was after the bombing of Imam al-Hassan al-Askari grave in Samarra in 2006, where he appeared alongside three other major Maraji [plural of Marja] al-Hakim, al-Fayyad, and al-Najafi.
The purpose behind that appearance was to contain any sectarian sedition that the bombing had sparked. In terms of content, this second recording days after Friday’s speech that took place on the second commemoration of the victory over ISIS is a painful blow against the political class and the armed Shiite parties that are responsible for the bloody repression that has taken place since the beginning of the October uprising.
The Marja stated, “What has taken place in the last few days from assassinations and abductions asserts once again the importance of all arms being submitted to the rule of the government, and that there be no armed groups outside the state under any name or title. The stability of the country and maintaining civil peace is dependent on this.”
What is noteworthy in this second recording that took place a few months ago and has been revealed days after the Friday speech is that there was no mention of the Popular Mobilization Forces, knowing that a big part of it was dedicated to remembering the Iraqi people’s sacrifices in the war against ISIS, particularly the official armed forces with a clear and explicit focus on the army.
In the last few years, the Iraqi army has become the only official institution with national approval, which led to it being targeted with plans to weaken and isolate it and to get rid of its leadership through dismissals and marginalization. This happened after it had retrieved a part of its fighting spirit that naturally collided with any plan for dominating Iraqi sovereignty. The street and Marja’s insistence that it is the only legitimate weapon exacerbated its relationship with the leaderships of armed militias. The Marja considered in his speech that, “Today we must reaffirm what has been mentioned in terms of the necessity of professionally building the army and the Iraqi armed forces such that it owes loyalty only to the nation, and that it rises to defend it against any foreign aggression and protects its political system that emanates from popular will within a constitutional and legal framework.”
There is no doubt that Marja’s bias towards the army at this stage does not give it the green light to conduct a military coup, seen by many as the only solution to this political deadlock, and a response to the demands of the protesters who are suffering systematic killing by the regime’s militias. Despite that, Najaf and the Iraqi national elite’s sensitivity, mainly Shiite, is still haunted by fears of military coups and rule that brought horrors to Iraq and established a culture of persecution, assassination, and genocides. However, with the loyalist government continuing to rule and its refusal to implement any reforms, its insistence on killing and terrorizing Iraqis to force them to retreat, not responding to the demands of the street, and the fall of more civilian victims, then the army’s frustration will come out in the open and may push the armed units to announce mutiny against the political leadership under the cover of protecting the protesters and to stop the bloodshed that the political class is insisting on under foreign cover.
In this open confrontation between the regime and the people, some protesters depend on the larger sectors of the army and some of its special forces to intervene, such as the anti-terrorism services, in the right time to protect them against the militias. This is especially true that the Iraqi army has defeated ISIS and became the only institution with national approval. The street still considers General Abdel-Wahab al-Saadi to be the icon for the armed forces and its victories, and the most accepted names to take over the transition government, in addition to the former General of the armed forces, al-Asadi, and the former head of the general intelligence services, Mostafa al-Kadhimi, whose name is being mentioned alongside the two generals as meeting the conditions set by the October uprising.
Consequently, the re-engineering of Iraqi nationalism that began on October 1, now has a spiritual, popular, and institutional cover provided by the triad of Iraqi salvation, the army, the people, and the Marja.

Hamas, Thirty-Two Years Later
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/December 18/2019
Now that Hamas has again – clearly – reminded the world that it has not changed and continues to seek the destruction of Israel, the question is: Why are some world leaders, governments and organizations continuing to embrace the leaders of the movement?
A further question that ought to be asked in light of the recent venomous anti-Israel statements by Hamas leaders in the past few days: Why is the United Nations trying to convince Hamas to participate in Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections?
All that is needed is for Erdogan and the rest of the world to listen to the statements of Hamas leaders in the past few days to understand that the movement is more determined than ever to achieve its goals of driving Jews "out of all of Palestine" and replacing Israel with an Islamic state.... What is it that they do not understand about "DEATH TO ISRAEL"? ... It makes one wonder what their real motive is.
There is only one message sent by the recent meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, during a week when Hamas repeated its call for the elimination of Israel: Turkey endorses Hamas and supports its agenda and ideology. Pictured: Erdogan at an anti-Israel rally, wearing a scarf with the flags of Turkey and the Palestinian Authority, on May 18, 2018 in Istanbul.
The Palestinian Hamas movement this week celebrated its 32nd anniversary by reminding everyone of its main goal: the destruction of Israel. This message is proof that Hamas has not – and will not – change its charter, originally published in 1988. It is also a powerful message to those who may have deluded themselves into believing that Hamas has transformed into a non-violent Palestinian faction.
This charter, also known as the Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement, states that Hamas's "struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious" and calls for replacing Israel with an Islamic state. "There is no solution for the Palestinian issue except through Jihad (holy war)," the charter says. "Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. Renouncing any part of Palestine means renouncing part of the religion [of Islam]."
Thirty-two years later, the leaders of Hamas have again shown that they remain more committed than ever to their covenant, particularly regarding the desire to replace Israel with an Islamic state.
In this regard, Hamas deserves credit for being straightforward about its true intention. In statements marking the anniversary of the founding of Hamas, the movement's leaders again demonstrated that they do not mince their words.
Ibrahim Yazouri, one of the founders of Hamas and its military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, said in an interview with the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center:
"Hamas and its military wing are continuing with their policy until the liberation of Palestine. We are nearing the day of liberation. Within a few years, God willing, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, occupied Jerusalem and all of Palestine will be liberated. Hamas will continue to use all means to liberate Palestine. The big victory is nearing and we need to be more patient."
When Hamas leaders talk about the "liberation of all of Palestine," they are actually repeating their commitment to destroy Israel.
Moreover, when Hamas leaders talk about using "all means to liberate Palestine," they are referring to various forms of terrorism, including suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israel. These are the only means Hamas believes in as a way of achieving its goal.
Hamas does not – and will never – recognize Israel's right to exist. As the movement states in its charter, "the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection. No one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it."
The statements made this week by several Hamas leaders are identical to the content of their charter. These statements – 32 years after the establishment of Hamas – reaffirm the movement's extremist and dangerous ideology.
Osama al-Mazini, another senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, said in a speech marking the movement's anniversary: "Hamas promises to remain faithful to its people and principles. The cowardly enemy understands only the language of force and gunpowder." He also called on Jews "to leave Palestine" and warned that Hamas has prepared thousands of suicide bombers to expel the Jews "from all of Palestine."
Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of the Hamas "Political Bureau," seized the occasion to describe Israel as a "Zionist project." He emphasized the need for Palestinians to "resist the Zionist project in order to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine."
Again, Abu Marzouk's statements show that he, too, remains fully committed to the Hamas charter. "Hamas is one of the links in the chain of Jihad to confront the Zionist invasion," the charter states.
"Zionist organizations control vast material resources, which enable them to fulfill their mission amidst societies, with a view of implementing Zionist goals and sowing the concepts than can be of use to the enemy. Those organizations operate [in a situation] where Islam is absent and alienated from its people. Therefore, the Muslims must fulfill their duty in confronting the schemes of those saboteurs. When Islam will regain possession of [the means] to guide the life [of the Muslims], it will wipe out those [Zionist] organizations which are the enemy of humanity and Islam."
The Hamas anniversary celebrations in the Gaza Strip, which attracted tens of thousands of Palestinians, coincided with efforts made by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations to reach a long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. The anniversary also came amid increased talk about Hamas's readiness to participate in new elections for the Palestinian Authority presidency and Palestinian parliament, the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The large turnout at the pro-Hamas rallies in the Gaza Strip is indicative of the movement's popularity among Palestinians. The tens of thousands of Palestinians who attended the Hamas rallies would seem to share the movement's principles and ideology, particularly regarding the annihilation of Israel. They, too, apparently believe that force and terrorism are the only languages Israel understands. They, too, chanted in favor of the "liberation of all of Palestine" from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Now that Hamas has again – clearly – reminded the world that it has not changed and continues to seek the destruction of Israel, the question is: Why are some world leaders, governments and organizations continuing to embrace the leaders of the movement?
During a week when Hamas is repeating its call for the elimination of Israel, why is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh? What message does such a meeting send to Palestinians and the rest of the Arabs and Muslims?
There is only one message that an encounter between Erdogan and Haniyeh sends: Turkey endorses Hamas and supports its agenda and ideology. It is no wonder that the Hamas leader praised Turkey's "support for the Palestinian people" after the meeting with Erdogan.
A further question that ought to be asked in light of the recent venomous anti-Israel statements by Hamas leaders in the past few days: Why is the United Nations trying to convince Hamas to participate in Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections?
What is the point of pressuring Hamas to participate in the planned vote as long as Hamas remains committed to Israel's destruction? Instead of urging Hamas to participate in the elections, it would be better if the UN called on Hamas to abandon its charter and stop calling for the destruction of Israel.
The international community already caused damage by allowing Hamas to run unconditionally in the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary election. Calamitously, the international community failed to demand that Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and commit to all agreements signed between the Palestinians and Israel as a prerequisite for participating in that election, which resulted in a Hamas victory.
Then, Hamas leaders were clever. They ran in the election under the umbrella of the very same Oslo Accords that they refuse to recognize. Hamas, in other words, used the Oslo Accords which its rejects as a means to take control of the Palestinian parliament.
It now seems that the international community is about to repeat its disastrous decision to permit Hamas to participate in elections. It is really not that hard to understand Hamas's true policies and positions – Hamas makes them crystal clear.
All that is needed is for Erdogan and the rest of the world to listen to the statements of Hamas leaders in the past few days to understand that the movement is more determined than ever to achieve its goals of driving Jews "out of all of Palestine" and replacing Israel with an Islamic state. It has been listening for 32 years. What is it that they do not understand about "DEATH TO ISRAEL"?
Those who are embracing Hamas are only legitimizing its extremist ideology and facilitating its mission of destroying Israel, this time by rising to power through an election backed by the UN, EU and other international parties. It makes one wonder what their real motive is.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

American Academia: Pandering to Radicals, Curbing Free Speech
Najat AlSaied/Gatestone Institute/December 18, 2019
It apparently did not occur to any of the academics that the FBI's surveillance is also geared towards protecting the Muslim community from terrorists in its midst.
Notably, the suggestion that Muslims are not a homogeneous group, but rather individuals who do not all share the same political or religious ideology, elicited a harsh response on the part of the panelists, who silenced the discussion.
One of the [NCA] executives, Trevor Parry-Giles, joined the attack, berating Tsukerman for her "racist" writing and "suspicious" political views. This was after Tsukerman had presented a research paper explaining that Islamists, in cooperation with their Western allies, especially the media, are distorting the image of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a progressive modernist.
Tsukerman and another professor in attendance were then expelled from the conference.
The recent convention of the National Communication Association in Baltimore sheds light on the way in which left-wing ideology has come to dominate American academia. (Photo source: iStock)
A recent gathering in Baltimore, Maryland sheds light on the way in which left-wing ideology has come to dominate American academia. Ironically, this particular event – a conference titled "Communication for Survival" -- was an example of stifling free speech, rather than conveying ideas other than those accepted as "politically correct" by the professors and graduate students in attendance.
Perhaps this was to be expected, given the topics under discussion at the 105th annual convention of the National Communication Association (NCA). These topics included:
"Race Relations in Charm City: Communicating Social Justice."
"Communication and Surviving in the Anthropocene: Keywords," which focused on "what the discipline of Communication may offer to consider how we entered this era of consequential anthropogenic climate change, the barriers we face to transform our culture, and which voices might help us bring about a more just and sustainable future."
"Communication, Disability Justice, and Surviving Ableism," which examined the "centrality of communication practices to the pursuit of disability justice through anti-abelist scholarship and activism."
"Communicating Survival in Violent Times: A Dialogue on the Intersections of Violence in Gendered, Sexual, Racial/Ethnic, and Class Contexts."
"Communication and Surviving Environmental Racism."
"Communication and #_______ing While Black or Brown," which addressed "experiences of hashtag activism but focuses specifically on the role of communication and that of our discipline as a means of constructing narratives around #____ing while black or brown."
During one session, at the mere suggestion that the immigration policies adopted by US President Donald Trump could be viewed as an important national-security measure aimed at controlling migration from countries rife with instability, extremism and terrorism -- on behalf of all Americans, Muslims and non-Muslims alike -- the outraged reaction from the participants was: "Anyone who supports Trump is a racist and a misogynist."
Another session was "Deconstructing Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in the Contemporary Political Climate: Beyond Survival, Toward Thriving" -- a series of six lectures by female academics hailing from different Muslim-majority countries (including Syria, Iran and the Palestinian Authority) who teach at universities across the US. These presenters described themselves as feminists, but sounded more like Islamist conservatives or apologists.
Each strongly defended Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two radical Democratic Party Congresswomen backed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization with ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
All six speakers criticized the FBI for monitoring mosques, without mentioning that militant Islamists have been using Muslim houses of worship to hold clandestine meetings and plan terrorist operations.
It apparently did not occur to any of the academics that the FBI's surveillance is also geared towards protecting the Muslim community from terrorists in its midst. But to consider such a view might have prevented the participants from playing a victim card.
Notably, the suggestion that Muslims are not a homogeneous group, but rather individuals who do not all share the same political or religious ideology, elicited a harsh response on the part of the panelists, who silenced the discussion.
After the day's panels, the participants attended a dinner organized by the NCA, during the course of which one of the female lecturers verbally assaulted a New York-based foreign-policy analyst, Irina Tsukerman, calling her a "racist bitch."
To add to the insult, the NCA hosts did not intervene. On the contrary, one of the executives, Trevor Parry-Giles, joined the attack, berating Tsukerman for her "racist" writing and "suspicious" political views. This was after Tsukerman had presented a research paper explaining that Islamists, in cooperation with their Western allies, especially the media, are distorting the image of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a progressive modernist.
Tsukerman and another professor in attendance were then expelled from the conference.
All of the above prompted this author to speak to the NCA's president, Star Muir, and its vice president, Kent Ono. I pointed out to them that I am an Arab Muslim who does not accept what those lecturers referred to as "anti-Muslim rhetoric in the US," and that it is my right to question them. I told them I was canceling my NCA membership, on the grounds that I no longer felt safe participating in its conferences.
In an email to all members of the NCA a few days later, Muir accused Tsukerman, the banished professor and me and of having harassed and traumatized the lecturers by photographing and videotaping their presentations. Aside from the fact there had been no public prohibition announced requesting that no pictures be taken, that there were photographs in the documents distributed, and that only Tsukerman had taken some pictures (no video recordings), Muir lied. He falsely denied that I had been a member of the NCA, and also falsely claimed that I had "fled" the scene after Tsukerman and the professor were expelled.
After this announcement, a petition full of additional fabrications was circulated, referring to the lecturers as "minoritized colleagues," because they are Muslims, and describing us as "the same perpetrators that stalked, harassed, and threatened these scholars at the Intercaucus Reception."
The petition went as far as to state that the expelled professor, who had been a member of the NCA for 17 years, confronted the "minoritized scholars" the day after the dinner party, and -- also falsely as well as melodramatically -- that they were afraid he was armed with a weapon, which caused them to be "deeply shaken."
The petition, which conveniently omitted that I am a Muslim, went so far as to refer to my remarks (in the Q&A session of one of the panels) as "racist."
This is not the first time that the NCA has expelled academics from its conferences for holding what it regards as unacceptable political positions. Richard Vatz, Distinguished Professor at Towson University, and Rod Carveth, Associate Professor of journalism and communication at Morgan State University, were suspended from the NCA Listserv over supposedly "racist" and "nativist" views on immigration.
This form of intellectual bullying is extremely dangerous, particularly in the United States, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. It is unconscionable that outright lies, smears and character assassination are being used to victimize and indoctrinate young students to prevent them from hearing different points of view.
*Najat AlSaied is a Saudi-American independent academic researcher in political communication and development.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Arab Christians easily forgotten by those in the West
Ray Hanania/Arab News/December 18/2019
As Christmas approaches, the last thing likely to be on the minds of mainstream Christians in the West will be their fellow Christians who are suffering as a result of Israel’s apartheid policies.
This is tragic and exposes the flaws that exist today. What I mean is that Christians in the West live their lives oblivious to the continued suffering of the Christians who live either inside Israel as marginalized half-citizens, denied their equal rights, or try to survive under Israel’s harsh and brutal occupation in Jerusalem or the West Bank or under siege in the Gaza Strip.
There are an estimated 1,200 Christian Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip — which is known as the world’s largest outdoor prison — and they suffer equally with their 1.8 million Muslim neighbors. Haaretz, the liberal English language newspaper in Israel, reported this week that 951 of Gaza’s Christians have asked to be allowed to visit family members and attend Christmas Mass in the West Bank or Jerusalem this year, but Israel’s racist government has blocked them from traveling. Israel allows other Christians from around the world to travel to Bethlehem, but not those who have struggled to preserve the true voice of Christianity in the place where it was born.
If you wanted to knock the wind out of the dying Christian population in the Middle East, Israel’s refusal to allow them to leave Gaza to celebrate one of their religion’s most important festivals would be a good place to start.
While the Christians of the West sing hymns about the birth of Christianity 2,000 years ago and worship Jerusalem and Bethlehem as the source of their beliefs, Arab Christians are actually still trying to survive in those cities, both of which are under intense pressure to protect their deep Christian roots.
Israel claims — in its multimillion-dollar public relations campaign to control the busy minds of the West and especially the US — that Christians are better protected by Israel than they are in the Arab world, where they face daunting challenges to be fully accepted as equal partners with Muslims. They may be treated well but they are far from being equal, and they suffer as intensely from Israel’s brutality as Muslims do.
I have argued many times that the path to respect in America for Arab and Palestinian rights is through the US Christian community. But some Muslim activists only seem to pay lip service to Arab Christians and instead insist that Christians like me stop bringing these issues up. “Christians and Muslims are the same,” we hear Arab Muslim activists repeat over and over again. But Christian Arabs like me rarely see that camaraderie. It doesn’t exist outside of empty rhetoric.
But the failure of the Muslim world to make Christian Arabs fully equal doesn’t let Israel off the hook. However, Israel better recognizes how powerfully symbolic Arab Christians are, so it is waging an all-out PR war to convince Christians in the West that Israelis care more about Christians than the Arabs do.
Sadly, when we talk about the Middle East’s Christians, we speak about their diminishing numbers. Christian Arabs in the Middle East are vanishing. They are being pushed out by Israeli racism and the Arab world’s apathy.
Israel is waging an all-out PR war to convince Christians in the West that Israelis care more about Christians than the Arabs do.
Christian Arabs consist of many denominations: Maronite Catholics who are mostly Lebanese, Coptic Christians mainly thriving in Egypt, plus Protestants, Melkites and Orthodox. They are split on the most important of Christian holidays, with mainstream American Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus on Dec. 25, while many Arab Christians will mark Christmas on Jan. 7, 2020.
American Christians, in particular, have abandoned the Arab Christians who have been surviving — barely — in the Middle East since the religion was founded in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago.
The Arab and Muslim worlds should view Arab Christians as a secret weapon; one that, if used strategically, could turn the tide of public opinion against Israel and further empower their cause. Instead of using Christmas greetings to impress the West, especially American Christians, they should focus their attention on empowering the Arab Christians who live right under their noses.
*Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at www.Hanania.com. Twitter: @RayHanania