LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 11/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.
Saint Matthew 15,10-20.: “Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’Then the disciples approached and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?’ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ Then he said, ‘Are you also still without

Question: "Is the Bible relevant for today?"
GotQuestions.org?/Answer: Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” While the Bible was completed approximately 1900 years ago, its accuracy and relevance for today remain unchanged. The Bible is the sole objective source of all the revelation God has given us about Himself and His plan for humanity. The Bible contains a great deal of information about the natural world that has been confirmed by scientific observations and research. Some of these passages include Leviticus 17:11; Ecclesiastes 1:6-7; Job 36:27-29; Psalm 102:25-27 and Colossians 1:16-17. As the Bible’s story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity unfolds, many different characters are vividly described. In those descriptions, the Bible provides a great deal of information about human behavior and tendencies. Our own day-to-day experience shows us that this information is more accurate and descriptive of the human condition than any psychology textbook. Many historical facts recorded in the Bible have been confirmed by extra-biblical sources. Historical research often shows a great deal of agreement between biblical accounts and extra-biblical accounts of the same events. However, the Bible is not a history book, a psychology text, or a scientific journal. The Bible is the description God gave us about who He is, and His desires and plans for humanity. The most significant component of this revelation is the story of our separation from God by sin and God’s provision for restoration of fellowship through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Our need for redemption does not change. Neither does God’s desire to reconcile us to Himself.
The Bible contains a great deal of accurate and relevant information. The Bible’s most important message—redemption—is universally and perpetually applicable to humanity. God’s Word will never be outdated, superseded, or improved upon. Cultures change, laws change, generations come and go, but the Word of God is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Not all of Scripture necessarily applies explicitly to us today, but all Scriptures contain truth that we can, and should, apply to our lives today.
Recommended Resource: The Quest Study Bible

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 10-11/17
In sign of gently warming ties, Bahraini delegation visits Israel/The Times Of Israel/December 10/17
Newsflash: Jerusalem Not on Fire/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017
Why Did Islamic State Kill So Many Sufis in Sinai/Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017
Welcome to the Hell Hole that is Brussels/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on December 10-11/17
Police Break Up Protest near U.S. Embassy after Fierce Clashes
'We All Want to Pray in Jerusalem', Says Bassil Urging Arab Measures, Uprising
Qaouq Calls for 'Strengthening Resistance' as Response to Trump's Move
Gemayel, Kanaan, Nicola Slam Riots that Marred Awkar Protest
Lebanon Investigates Visit of Iraqi Militia Leader to the South
Lebanon’s Deputy Araji: Hariri’s Principles Remain Unchanged
Lebanon forces fire tear gas at protestors near US embassy
Rahi: US President's decision recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel contravenes resolutions of international legitimacy
President Aoun partakes in launching of forestation campaign from Baabda Palace patronized by Lebanese First Lady
Foreign Ministry: Lebanon documented its objection to Arab Foreign Ministers resolution's failure to match critical Palestinian cause, demanding further measures
Machnouk from Abu Dhabi: For a decisive implementation of selfdissociation
Sami Gemayel: Allowing Awkar Square to turn into a place for rioters a shame for State
Sami Gemayel begins a visit to Germany as part of a tour that also includes France
Wanted suspect arrested in AlAin in northern Bekaa
Riachi: Khazali's passage through Southern Lebanese towns a breach of selfdissociation
Zahra to Radio Lebanon: Hariri proved to be seriously followingup on selfdissociation policy

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 10-11/17
Pope prays for nuclear disarmament
Erdogan steps up attacks on 'occupier' Israel
Arab League Ministers Call on Washington to Review Decision on Jerusalem
Arab states urge U.S. to abandon Jerusalem move
Pope urges nuclear disarmament, climate-change solutions
Turkish President Erdogan calls Israel a ‘terrorist state’
Iraq Holds Military Parade Celebrating ISIS Defeat
Manama Dialogue' Reiterates Importance of Confronting Iran, Houthis
Imminent Deal Between Libyan Officers to Appoint Haftar As Army Chief
Around 500 French Militants Still in Syria, Iraq
US Ambassador to Yemen Drops Hint About International Move Against Houthis
Macron Condemns 'All Attacks on Israel', Urges Netanyahu to Talk to Palestinians

Latest Lebanese Related News published on December 10-11/17
Police Break Up Protest near U.S. Embassy after Fierce Clashes
Associated/PressAgence France/Naharnet/December 10/17/Lebanese security forces on Sunday fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators near the U.S. embassy in Awkar as they protested Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Several people were injured by rocks, tear gas, and rubber bullets as security forces arrested around ten protesters who refused to disperse after fierce clashes. The protesters had gathered early Sunday hundreds of meters outside the heavily-guarded embassy to reject the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. After a rowdy start, the protest drew several hundred people and became more peaceful, with demonstrators chanting and singing. The clashes resumed in the afternoon after organizers announced the end of the protest. Some protesters refused to leave the site and instead pelted security forces with stones. Security forces intervened forcefully at this point, chasing the remaining protesters and arresting and beating up a handful of them. Demonstrators were blocked from reaching the complex by a metal gate sealing the road leading to the embassy. Waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, and sporting black-and-white checked keffiyeh scarves, protesters chanted slogans against U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A group of demonstrators set alight an effigy of the U.S. president, whose decision has upended decades of American diplomacy and an international consensus to leave the status of Jerusalem to be resolved in negotiations. The demonstrators included members of Palestinian parties, as well as Lebanese leftists and Islamists. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has called for a mass demonstration against Trump's decision on Monday in the group's southern Beirut suburbs stronghold.Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, including those who fled or were expelled from their homes after Israel's founding, as well as their descendants. Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years before withdrawing amid armed resistance in 2000, but the two countries remain technically at war. In 2006, Israel fought a devastating war against Hizbullah in Lebanon that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 120 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

'We All Want to Pray in Jerusalem', Says Bassil Urging Arab Measures, Uprising
Naharnet/December 10/17/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has called for an Arab popular uprising and for diplomatic, political and economic Arab measures against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “Jerusalem cannot belong to a unilateral state… Jerusalem is for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We are the sons of Abraham, Jesus and Mohammed, we all want to pray in Jerusalem and we will not accept to be prevented,” said Bassil at an emergency Arab League meeting in Cairo over Trump’s move.
He warned that the Arab countries are today facing two choices: “Revolution or the death of a dormant nation.”The minister then suggested a host of measures to confront the U.S. administration’s move. “We must restore the unified Arab policy to take deterring measures in response to the U.S. decision and any similar decision by any other state, starting with diplomatic measures to political, economic and financial measures,” Bassil said. “There should be a unified popular uprising in all our Arab countries… This uprising should not stop before the implementation of all the stipulations of the Arab Peace Initiative without any selectivity,” the FM added. He also urged Arabs to achieve “an inter-Arab reconciliation,” describing it as “the only path for the salvation of this Nation.”
“We must call for an emergency Arab summit for Jerusalem to restore its Arab identity, because without Jerusalem there can be no Arabs and no Arabism,” Bassil added. The U.S. decision has ignited protests across the Middle East, where it is widely seen as a blatantly pro-Israel move that threatens the decades-old peace process. Lebanon is home to 450,000 Palestinian refugees, nearly 10 percent of the population.

Qaouq Calls for 'Strengthening Resistance' as Response to Trump's Move
Naharnet/December 10/17/A senior Hizbullah official announced Sunday that the response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital should be through “reinforcing the resistance approach across the region.” “Jerusalem is not counting on Arab kings, presidents or summits, but rather on the will of real men and the rifles of the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements,” Sheikh Nabil Qaouq, a member of Hizbullah’s Central Council, said. He warned that Trump’s decision “paves the way for a deal that would usurp the Palestinians’ right to have a state whose capital is Jerusalem as well as their right to return, which would lead to the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon.” Trump’s move “also paves the way for further Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank and more threats against Syria, Lebanon and the region,” Qaouq cautioned. “Therefore, the nation’s only remaining and successful option is the strategy of the resistance, which is the only recipe that can deter Israel and America,” the Hizbullah official added. “The response of the resistance to Trump’s decision should be through boosting its military capabilities and reinforcing its project across the region. The effective response to the U.S. decision should be through stoking the spirit of resistance throughout the region,” Qaouq went on to say.

Gemayel, Kanaan, Nicola Slam Riots that Marred Awkar Protest
Naharnet/December 10/17/Northern Metn MPs Sami Gemayel, Ibrahim Kanaan and Nabil Nicola on Sunday denounced the riots that marred a demo protesting Washington’s decision on Jerusalem near the U.S. embassy in Awkar. “We will not sympathize with your cause from now on. The Lebanese Army is not an occupation army; Awkar is a Lebanese Christian town and not an Israeli, Jewish or Zionist town; and the road to Palestine does not pass through any Lebanese city,” MP Nicola of the Change and Reform bloc tweeted. “You are terrorizing civilian residents and hurling stones at the army that is protecting you,” the lawmaker charged. Several protesters and policemen were injured after the demonstration turned violent. The protest was organized by a number of leftist and pan-Arabist Lebanese and Palestinian factions. After a rowdy start, the protest drew several hundred people and became more peaceful, with demonstrators chanting and singing. The clashes resumed in the afternoon after organizers announced the end of the protest. Some protesters refused to leave the site and instead pelted riot police with stones. Security forces intervened forcefully at this point, chasing the remaining protesters and arresting and beating up a handful of them. Riot police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to break up the demo. “Awkar is not Gaza and Lebanese security forces are not Israelis. Public properties and citizens’ private properties should not be attack targets,” MP Kanaan, the secretary of the Change and Reform bloc said. “Solidarity and protests supporting Jerusalem do not stand for the violation of Lebanese laws, Kanaan stressed. Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel meanwhile said that “allowing the turning of the Akwar area into an arena for some rioters to attack the Lebanese Army and this peaceful area and its residents and shops shames this ruling class, which only flexes its muscles against those who defend Lebanon.” Demonstrators were blocked from reaching the complex by a metal gate sealing the road leading to the embassy. The gate was installed hundreds of meters away from the embassy compound and was partially destroyed by protesters.Waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, and sporting black-and-white checked keffiyeh scarves, protesters chanted slogans against U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A group of demonstrators set alight an effigy of the U.S. president, whose decision has upended decades of American diplomacy and an international consensus to leave the status of Jerusalem to be resolved in negotiations.

Lebanon Investigates Visit of Iraqi Militia Leader to the South
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/Beirut- Caroline Akoum
The appearance of the head of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia during a visit to Lebanon’s border with Israel, accompanied by Hezbollah fighters, sparked a wave of anger, especially as it came shortly after the government announced the adoption of a policy to dissociate the country from external conflicts.
In a video released on Saturday, Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iraqi paramilitary group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, declared his readiness “to stand together with the Lebanese people and the Palestinian cause”, just four days after the Lebanese political parties announced the adoption of the policy of “dissociation” from external and regional conflicts. The video showed an unidentified commander, presumably from Hezbollah, gesturing toward military outposts located along the borders, while Khazali was talking to another person through a wireless device, telling him: “ I am now with the brothers in Hezbollah in the area of Kfarkila, which is a few meters away from occupied Palestine; we declare the full readiness to stand together with the Lebanese people and the Palestinian cause.” Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri ordered the security apparatus to conduct the necessary investigations into the presence of the Iraqi leader on the Lebanese territories, which he said violated the Lebanese laws. Presidential sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that President Michel Aoun has requested further information about the video, while military sources denied that Khazali has entered the Lebanese territories in a legitimate way.
“The entry of any foreigner to this border area requires a permit from the Lebanese Army, which did not happen,” the sources said, stressing that Khazali has entered the area illegaly. A statement issued by the premier’s office said: “Hariri contacted the concerned military and security officials to conduct the necessary investigations and take measures to prevent any person or party from carrying out any military activity on the Lebanese territory, and to thwart any illegal act as shown in the video.”The Lebanese prime minister also ordered that Qais Al-Khazali would be banned from entering Lebanon again, the statement added.

Lebanon’s Deputy Araji: Hariri’s Principles Remain Unchanged
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/Member of the Future Movement parliamentary bloc MP Issam Araji said that Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s principles have not and will not change, adding that the Lebanese leader’s concerns center around the protection of Lebanon and the safeguarding of the “Taef Accord.”In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Araji said that the parliamentary elections would be held on time next May. The deputy praised the statement issued by the government last week concerning Lebanon’s commitment to the dissociation policy. “The statement issued following last week’s cabinet session, which contributed to Hariri’s withdrawal of his resignation, was reached following an agreement held between the prime minister, the president and the speaker and has produced a positive environment at the economic, political, security and financial levels,” he said. Araji said that the Future Movement and its leader Hariri are mainly concerned with protecting the country’s stability and safeguarding the “Taef Accrod,” in addition to other achievements that have already realized at the political level. Although the Lebanese deputy described last week’s ministerial statement as a “triumph,” he nevertheless said that the Future Movement and Prime Minister Hariri were currently monitoring its implementation. “Some guarantees were offered before reaching this statement, and therefore, those guarantees should produce positive outcomes at all levels.”Commenting on Hariri's statement for Paris Match magazine last week that “Hezbollah’s” weapons could not be used internally, Araji said: “The Prime Minister did not change his positions and is attached to the principles he has always called for. But, what he said lately concerning Hezbollah’s arms was taken in another direction.” The deputy said: “Did we forget that the party used its weapons during the May 7, 2008 conflict,” adding that Iran is the party that determines the fate of “Hezbollah’s” arms because “the party is ideologically and theologically devoted to the Iranian regime.

Lebanon forces fire tear gas at protestors near US embassy
AFP/December 9, 2017/Beirut (AFP) - Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons on Sunday at demonstrators near the US embassy as they protested Washington's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
An AFP correspondent in Awkar outside the capital Beirut said several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered near the US embassy, located in the area. They were blocked from reaching the complex by a metal gate sealing the road leading to the embassy, and security forces fired tear gas and water cannons to repel demonstrators who tried to open the gate by force. Several people were injured by rocks, tear gas, and rubber bullets, the correspondent said. There was no immediate comment from security forces. Protestors waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, and sporting black-and-white checked keffiyeh scarves, chanted slogans against President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A group of demonstrators set alight an effigy of the US president, whose decision has upended decades of American diplomacy and an international consensus to leave the status of Jerusalem to be resolved in negotiations. The demonstrators included members of Palestinian parties, as well as Lebanese Islamists and leftists. By early afternoon, the bulk of the protesters had departed, and security forces moved in to arrest a few remaining demonstrators. The head of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has called for a mass demonstration against Trump's decision on Monday in the group's southern Beirut suburbs stronghold. "I am calling on men, women, young and old, the southern suburbs, Beirut and all those who wish to join in from across Lebanon," Nasrallah said, also inviting residents of Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, including those who fled or were expelled from their homes after Israel's founding, as well as their descendants. Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years before withdrawing in 2000, but the two countries remain technically at war. In 2006, Israel fought a devastating war against Hezbollah in Lebanon that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 120 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Rahi: US President's decision recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel contravenes resolutions of international legitimacy
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi vigorously criticized the recent position of US President Donald Trump, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying "it contradicts with the resolutions of the international legitimacy." "The decision of President Trump announcing al-Quds as the capital of Israel contradicts with the resolutions of the international legitimacy, challenging the international and regional will, and is a slap in the face of the Palestinians, Christians, Muslims and the entire Arabs," Rahi said during Sunday Mass service in Bkirki. "Such a decision would destroy the bridges of peace among the Israelis, Palestinians and Arab Nations and ignite the fire of a new Intifada, turning Jerusalem into a city of war," the Patriarch added. The Cardinal expressed his gratitude for Lebanon's exit from the recent constitutional and political crisis, starting from the non-resignation of PM Saad Hariri from the government according to an agreement with President Michel Aoun, up to the cabinet meeting at the presidential palace. The Patriarch praised the recent ministerial statement of the Lebanese government's commitment in all its political components to distance itself from any conflicts or wars, or to interfere in the internal affairs of the Arab states, in order to preserve Lebanon's political and economic relations with its Arab brethrens. He expressed his satisfaction following the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon, in which conferees shed light on the importance of preserving Lebanon's stability, security, sovereignty and economy, as well as supporting its constitutional institutions and protecting it from the repercussions of crises that destabilize the Middle East.

President Aoun partakes in launching of forestation campaign from Baabda Palace patronized by Lebanese First Lady
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - The National Campaign for Forestation and Reforestation for the Season of 2017-2018 was launched on Sunday from Baabda Presidential Palace, in the presence of President of the Republic Michal Aoun, under the patronage of Lebanese First Lady Nadia Shami Aoun.
The campaign is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, within the framework of the National Program for Forestry known as the "Forty Million Tree" Program, in parallel with a forestation campaign organized by municipalities in eight sites spread across Lebanon. Attending the launching event, Agriculture Minister Ghazi Zeaiter stressed on "the symbolic importance of launching this national campaign from the Presidential Palace, marking a year since the election of President Aoun, and in conjunction with celebrating the blessed holiday season." Zeaiter praised the President's national stances demonstrated across his mandate period, most recently in the attack against Al-Quds. Following the capture of the event's commemorative photographs, President Aoun and First Lady headed to the Palace Garden, where they planted an olive tree as a symbol of peace, love and blessings, signaling the start of the forestation campaign, which will include numerous Lebanese regions.

Foreign Ministry: Lebanon documented its objection to Arab Foreign Ministers resolution's failure to match critical Palestinian cause, demanding further measures
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Lebanon "documented its position on the resolution issued yesterday night following the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers on the declaration of the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and its intention to transfer its embassy to it." "Lebanon registered its objection towards the resolution's provisions' failure to meet the seriousness of the issue, demanding further measures to match the level of the unprecedented violation of the Holy City with all its constituents, in line with the speech delivered by Foreign Minister Gebran Basil at the headquarters of the Arab League," the statement indicated. "Lebanon has included a paragraph on mobilizing Arab national, popular and cultural energies to cope with the diplomatic move on the issue of Jerusalem," the statement added.

Machnouk from Abu Dhabi: For a decisive implementation of selfdissociation
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Interior and Municipalities Minister Nuhad al-Machnouk called for a decisive implementation of the self-dissociation policy. "The issued statement by the International Support Group for Lebanon in its significantly crucial context could be a real solution to the serious imbalance in the Lebanese-Arab relations," deemed al-Machnouk, speaking during a charity dinner organized by the Saint Vincent de Paul Association at the Rotana Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening. He added that "the Presidency of the Republic shoulders the responsibility of protecting the components of national and Arab reconciliation, namely the Taif Agreement and the Arab League Charter, and is the spearhead in preserving Lebanon's relations with its Arab neighborhood."

Sami Gemayel: Allowing Awkar Square to turn into a place for rioters a shame for State
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Deputy Sami Gemayel criticized Sunday's demonstration held in Awkar against US President Donald Trump's decision on al-Quds. "Permitting the transformation of Awkar into an arena for some rioters to attack the Lebanese army, and this peaceful and secure region with its people and shops, is a disgrace to this authority which is only capable of overpowering those who defend Lebanon," Gemayel said via Twitter.

Sami Gemayel begins a visit to Germany as part of a tour that also includes France
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Kataeb Party Chief, MP Sami Gemayel, arrived in the German capital of Berlin on Sunday, where he is to hold talks with senior officials of the Chancellery, Foreign Affairs Ministry, House of Representatives, various political parties and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. According to his media office, Gemayel's visit to Germany "comes in the context of a European tour that will also include the French capital, Paris," as part of his "diplomatic moves, and complementary to his Arab and international tour which he had begun, carrying the Lebanese burdens and the Kataeb Party's views on possible solutions to outstanding matters."

Wanted suspect arrested in AlAin in northern Bekaa
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - An Army Information patrol unit arrested Sunday during a raid in the town of Al Ain in northern Bekaa a wanted suspect for murder, arms trade and involvement with terrorist organizations, NNA correspondent in Hermel reported. The arrested was detained for investigation before being referred to the concerned judiciary.

Riachi: Khazali's passage through Southern Lebanese towns a breach of selfdissociation
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Minister of Information Melhem Riachi criticized Sunday via Twitter the recent visit by Qais Al Khazali, the Secretary General of "Assaeb Ahl Al Haq" Movement - one of the factions of the Iraqi popular crowd (paramilitary force) - to various towns and villages in South Lebanon. "Al Khazali has passed through here; a violation of self-dissociation which ought not have occurred...through here!" Riachi exclaimed.

Zahra to Radio Lebanon: Hariri proved to be seriously followingup on selfdissociation policy
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Lebanese Forces Party Member, Deputy Antoine Zahra, said on Sunday that Prime Minister Saad Hariri has shown a serious approach in monitoring the implementation of the self-dissociation policy. Speaking in an interview with Radio Lebanon, the MP said that the relationship between the Lebanese Forces and the Future Movement was gradually being restored, noting that positive contacts have been going on for a week between the two parties. He recalled that the Future Movement and LF advocated the same project, that of building a true Lebanese State. Regarding the recent decision of US President Donald Trump on Al-Quds, Zahra said that the Lebanese Parliament was the first official Arab forum to hold a meeting over the fate of Al-Quds. He deemed that Lebanon has always been at the heart of Arab causes. "We confirmed that Al-Quds brings together the Lebanese by its symbolism, its importance, its history and its civilization," Zahra added. Zahra considered that the US President should restore his country's role as a mediator in the peace process and declare Al-Quds as the capital of the State of Palestine.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 10-11/17
Pope prays for nuclear disarmament
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Pope Francis on Sunday called on world leaders to work in favour of nuclear disarmament to protect human rights, particularly those of weaker and underprivileged people. The pontiff said that there was a need to "work with determination to build a world without nuclear weapons", speaking from the window of the papal apartment overlooking St. Peter's Square and citing his 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si (Praised Be). His remarks came on the day that the group which won this year's Nobel Peace Prize urged nuclear nations to adopt a U.N. treaty banning atomic weapons.
With rising tensions between the United States and North Korea, the pope has repeatedly warned against the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental effects of nuclear devices and has called for a third country to mediate the dispute. At his weekly Angelus prayer, Pope Francis added that men and women in the world had "the liberty, the intelligence and the capacity to guide technology, limit their power, at the service of peace and true progress". Speaking aboard the plane back from his trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, the pope suggested that some world leaders had an "irrational" attitude towards nuclear weapons. Last month he appeared to harden the Catholic Church's teaching against nuclear weapons, saying countries should not stockpile them, even for the purpose of deterrence. Pope Francis, a strong defender of environmental protection, also hoped that an upcoming Paris summit would adopt "efficient decisions" to contrast climate change. --- Reuters

Erdogan steps up attacks on 'occupier' Israel
Sun 10 Dec 2017/NNA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday described Israel as a "state of occupation" which used "terror" against the Palestinians, as he stepped up his criticism of the US recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. Erdogan has been bitterly opposed to the decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem and has called a summit of Islamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul. "Israel is a state of occupation," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul, referring to Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and settlement building. --- AFP

Arab League Ministers Call on Washington to Review Decision on Jerusalem
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/Arab League foreign ministers convened in an extraordinary session on Saturday in Cairo and warned of the repercussions of US President Donald Trump’s decision to consider Jerusalem as the “capital” of Israel. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, highlighted the international consensus against Trump's decision, calling on the US administration to reverse this announcement while stressing that the Arab peace initiative “is a roadmap for resolving the conflict.”Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, for his part, said that Trump’s decision “undermines Arab confidence in the United States as a sponsor of the peace process”, describing it as “bad in substance and form, unfair to Arab rights and contrary to international law.”Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riad al-Maliki stressed that the US declaration “represents a reward for occupation, and strips the United States of its eligibility to play the role of mediator in the peace process.”He noted, however, that the Palestinian Authority did not intend to withdraw from the peace process, but would no longer accept Washington as a mediator and would seek to replace it. Seventeen foreign ministers and the Libyan foreign ministry undersecretary attended the meeting, in addition to the permanent representatives of Bahrain, Tunisia and the Republic of the Comoros. The meeting came at the request of Palestine and Jordan and was supported by several Arab countries, to discuss latest developments in light of the US president’s announcement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US embassy to it. The Arab foreign ministers unanimously agreed to reject the US decision and to form an Arab ministerial committee to address the United Nations and the Security Council on this matter.

Arab states urge U.S. to abandon Jerusalem move
CAIRO (Reuters) - Arab foreign ministers late on Saturday urged the United States to abandon its decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying the move would increase violence throughout the region. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during Arab League foreign ministers emergency meeting on Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Cairo, Egypt December 9, 2017. The announcement by President Donald Trump on Wednesday was a “dangerous violation of international law”, had no legal impact and was “void”, the Arab League said in a statement after a session attended by all its members in Cairo. Trump’s endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. “The decision has no legal effect ... it deepens tension, ignites anger and threatens to plunge region into more violence and chaos,” the Arab League said at 3 a.m. local time after hours of meetings that began on Saturday evening. It said it would seek a U.N. Security Council resolution rejecting the U.S. move. Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said during the emergency meeting that Arab nations should consider imposing economic sanctions against the United States to prevent it moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. “Pre-emptive measures (must be) taken ... beginning with diplomatic measures, then political, then economic and financial sanctions,” he said, without giving specific details. Arab states urge U.S. to abandon Jerusalem move - statement  The Arab League statement made no mention of economic sanctions. Arab criticism of Trump’s plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washington’s traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration in January.

Pope urges nuclear disarmament, climate-change solutions
VATICAN CITY (AP)/December 10/17/ — Pope Francis is calling for a world without nuclear arms and for effective measures to combat climate change. Addressing the faithful Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, he stressed what he called “the strong link between human rights and nuclear disarmament.” Francis said working to protect the dignity of the weakest and most disadvantaged implies “also working with determination to build a world without nuclear arms.” He urged people to put intelligence and technology at the “service of peace and true progress.”A strong crusader for the environment, Francis also expressed hope that people will realize the “need to adopt truly efficient decisions to fight climate change” while also combatting poverty.Francis then cited the suffering from a cyclone in India that has left fishermen missing and from flooding in Albania.

Turkish President Erdogan calls Israel a ‘terrorist state’
By Staff AFP/December 10/17/ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described Israel as a “terrorist state” and vowed to use “all means to fight” against the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the country’s capital. “Palestine is an innocent victim… As for Israel, it is a terrorist state, yes, terrorist!” Erdogan said in a speech in the central city of Sivas.“We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a state that kills children.”His speech came days after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, angering Palestinians and sparking protests in Muslim and Arab countries.Four Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in violence following the U.S. announcement. Rockets were fired from Gaza and Israeli warplanes carried out raids on the territory. Erdogan earlier described the status of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Palestinians see as the capital of their future state, as a “red line” for Muslims. He called Trump’s declaration “null and void.”The Turkish president has used his position as the current chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call a summit of the pan-Islamic group on Wednesday. “We will show that applying the measure will not be as easy as that,” he added on Sunday. During his speech, Erdogan held a picture of what he said was a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from Hebron, in the Occupied West Bank, being dragged away by Israeli soldiers. Turkey and Israel normalized their relations in recent years but Erdogan has continued to defend the Palestinian cause and has regularly criticized Israeli policy.© 2017 AFP

Iraq Holds Military Parade Celebrating ISIS Defeat
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/An Iraqi military parade celebrating final victory over Islamic State is underway in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, Reuters quoted an Iraqi military spokesman as saying on Sunday. Almost one year after the launch of military operations from Mosul, north Iraq, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Saturday that his country’s forces have “completely controlled” the Syrian-Iraqi borders, declaring that the war against ISIS has officially ended. “Our forces are in complete control of the Iraqi-Syrian border and I, therefore, announce the end of the war against ISIS,” Abadi told a conference in Baghdad. The Prime Minister added that Iraq’s enemy “wanted to kill our civilization, but we have won through our unity and our determination. We have triumphed in little time.”In another speech delivered at the Defense Ministry in the presence of representatives from the entire armed forces, Abadi announced that Iraq’s next battle would be to defeat the scourge of corruption. “Weapons should only be in the state’s hands,” Abadi confirmed. He said that the rule of law and respect for it are the way to build the state and achieve justice, equality, and stability, adding that the unity of Iraq and its people is the most important and greatest accomplishment. Authorities in Iraq announced a public holiday on Sunday “to celebrate the victory.” The prime minister’s declaration came three years after the militant group captured some third of Iraq’s territory.
Meanwhile, Naim el-Kaoud, leader of the al-Bounmar tribes in Anbar told Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday the “battles that continued following the liberation of Rawa, including the western desert, were now completed and the area is now combined to the entire border with Syria after clearing ISIS militants.”
For his part, Hisham al-Hashemi, an expert on jihadist groups, told Asharq Al-Awsat that although the terrorist group was military defeated in Iraq, ISIS would still hold some pockets in some Iraqi areas. He said that around 800 fighters were still present in the country, especially in east Tigris, and the Hamrin Mountains.

Manama Dialogue' Reiterates Importance of Confronting Iran, Houthis
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/Manama Dialogue 2017 reiterated the importance of confronting Houthis in Yemen and all the forces supporting them and destabilizing the region, namely Iran. The 13th Manama Dialogue, which began on Friday, brought together a huge number of security and military experts and academics to discuss threats of extremism and terrorism. The first session entitled: "Creating a Stable Regional Security Architecture", Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and Chairman KKR Global Institute General David Petraeus. The second session, "Political and Military Responses to Extremism in the Middle East", featured UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson, Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayad, and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash.
Bahraini foreign minister confirmed that the stability and security of the region face a lot of challenges especially with the support all terrorist receive. He added that insurgency in Yemen rejected any positive role in rebuilding their country and sought to establish a terrorist state affiliated with Iran, that which can’t be accepted. Hezbollah's activities in Lebanon provide a model for what might happen if a “terrorist organization takes control of the political decision” according to the Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Khalid. “This is in addition to the smuggling of weapons and explosives and training of terrorists to carry out terrorist operations in Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries," he added. He also stressed that the decision taken by the Arab quartet to boycott Qatar is a result of decades-long attempts of some countries to destroy the security and stability of other countries. “Our actions against Qatar are the result of decades of Qatari policies that threatened and jeopardized our national security, and came as a last resort after Qatar failed to honor agreement after agreement,” Shaikh Khalid said. He explained that the aim of the actions is to stop Qatar from plotting to undermine and weaken the governments and from supporting terrorist groups that destabilize countries like Egypt, Yemen, and Libya and to stop their interference in other countries. The minister announced that Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt are ready to re-establish relations with Qatar if it agrees to the set of demands proposed by the Arab alliance and stop its support for terrorism. “We had always given Qatar the benefit of the doubt, we have always sought to work out our differences with Qatar in a quiet manner, with the close cooperation of GCC members for the sake of preserving GCC unity. But unfortunately, that approach was not sufficient, and we realized that more urgent measures were required,” Sheikh Khalid said. The minister warned that Iran undermines regional security and destabilize governments of other countries, as well as supports terrorist militias to implement its own agenda. Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel threatens to bring further instability in the region, dashing the hopes of peace, said Sheikh Khalid, who reiterated that East Jerusalem must be free of Israeli occupation. He said that US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a clear violation of the international resolutions. UK Secretary of Defence Gavin Williamson also addressed the second session of the conference and declared that the UK will invest at least £10 million to strengthen Iraqi counter-terrorism. He said that terrorism must be fought not only on the ground but also by “shutting down their social media mouthpieces”. Williamson stated that Assad is a barrier to peace in Syria who has used chemical weapons on his own people. UAE Minister of State Anwar Gargash said on Saturday that US president Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a gift to radicalism as radicals will use it to fan the language of hate. “These issues are a gift to radicalism. Radicals and extremists will use that to fan the language of hate,” Gargash told the Manama Dialogue security conference. He went on to say: "I am not worried about today, tomorrow and the day after, I am worried that some people will see the decision as a turning point, like the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. I hope this is not a watershed, but it is a worry."Iran's sectarian rhetoric and proxies are disrupting the region, stated Gargash, adding: “We're very worried by Iran's missile capability.”Gargash pointed out that killing former Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh surely complicated things in Yemen, however, on the medium term it will expose Houthis as the ones rejecting the political solution and stability. Speaking at a session during the Manama Dialogue 2017, Iraq's Vice President Iyad Allawi warned that the Middle East security climate is unbalanced and may get much worse. He indicated that Trump's Jerusalem announcement will be used by terrorist recruiters, adding that there is a power struggle in the region between forces of extremism and moderation and a roadmap should be set to contain terrorism and extremism. Organised annually, the IISS Manama Dialogue provides a platform for participating states to exchange views on regional challenges. The conference provides a vital forum for some of the most powerful policymakers from the region and beyond to agree on ways to address pressing challenges collectively.

Imminent Deal Between Libyan Officers to Appoint Haftar As Army Chief
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/An imminent deal seems to loom in the horizon of Cairo - for the first time after the ousting of former president Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 – to unite the Libyan military institution in an entity led by Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar. This entity supposedly encompasses soldiers pro to the Government of National Accord, headed by Faiz Al-Sarraj who announced before his visit on Sunday to Egypt the formation of a joint-chamber with Italy to fight heroin and human trafficking. As Sarraj intends to convene with officials in the Egyptian committee on the Libyan crisis during his visit to Cairo, a high-rank Libyan military officer stated to Asharq Al-Awsat that the fourth meeting of the Libyan army delegation, which was hosted by the Egyptian capital for the past three days, reached “an official agreement to appoint Haftar an army chief.” A prominent Egyptian official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “there is a positive development. The army unifying process is on track. Cairo meetings succeeded in persuading everyone that the danger threatening Libya and the existence of terrorism that jeopardizes Libya’s neighbors push toward having a strong army.” In a statement issued on Saturday, the Libyan National Army reported that its delegation sought to complete the organizational structure of the Libyan armed forces through necessary amendments. The delegation also stressed national concepts, basically the unity, sovereignty, security, and safety of Libya. UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salameh expressed hope that conflict-parties in Libya reach an accord in saving the country from chaos. Following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita, in Rabat, Salameh affirmed that a political process is required to exit the Libyan crisis. This requires the drafting of a new constitution, achieving a national reconciliation and holding presidential and legislative elections.

Around 500 French Militants Still in Syria, Iraq
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/About 500 French militants who joined the terrorist group ISIS are still in Syria and Iraq, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on the air of the BFM TV channel. “We are talking about 500 jihadists who are there and will be imprisoned,” said Le Drian. "The return to France by their own means is extremely difficult," he noted, without further details. The French foreign minister said the defeat of ISIS in Syria became possible “thanks to the actions of the international coalition.”According to the data voiced earlier by the Minister of the Interior of France Gerard Colon, over 240 militants have returned to France over the past five years, of which about 50 are minors. About 130 of them are currently in prison, others remain at large, but under the control of French law enforcement agencies. At the moment, the police are monitoring 18.4 thousand people entered in its electronic database of persons posing a potential threat to the security of the country. The participation of the French army in the fight against ISIS in the anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States subjected France to attacks on its own territory. After the terrorist attacks of November 13, 2015, when a total of 130 people were killed in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and about 350 wounded, a state of emergency was introduced in the country, which ceased in early November.

US Ambassador to Yemen Drops Hint About International Move Against Houthis
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/ 2017/The US warned Houthi militias on Saturday against going too far in their brutality in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, adding that the international community would have to reconsider their actions and take the right decisions. US Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller called on Houthis to hand over their arms and to enter into serious negotiations to end the conflict with all political parties in Yemen, based on the UN framework that respects the Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative, outcomes of the national dialogue, and the United Nations resolutions. Tueller told Asharq Al-Awsat that the joyful celebrations that some parties held after the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh were “inhuman” and completely crossed all religious scales, strongly condemning such behavior. “The death of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh is shocking and is considered a negative behavior. Whoever Saleh was, he had some fingerprints inside the country and on the Yemenis. I was extremely outraged and saddened by the behaviors of some members inside or outside Yemen and the celebrations held following his death,” Tueller said. The US ambassador said that last week’s events in Yemen uncovered the depth of the conflict in the country and the level of its destructiveness. He added that the US considers the events in Yemen as “revealing the need for all parties to get involved in serious talks to end the conflict. Assassination attempts or the execution of others would aggravate the crisis and complicate any solution.”According to Tueller, the US “reiterates that there is no military solution to the current conflict in Yemen.”Commenting on the executions committed by Houthis against thousands of the General People’s Congress party members and their families in Sanaa during the past few days, the ambassador said that Houthis seems determined to silence members of the GPC party and get rid of them.

Macron Condemns 'All Attacks on Israel', Urges Netanyahu to Talk to Palestinians
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 10/17/French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show "courage" in his dealings with the Palestinians to build goodwill that would help rekindle the peace process. "I urged the prime minister to show courage in his dealings with the Palestinians to get us out of the current dead-end," Macron said after talks in Paris with the Israeli leader. He began his prepared statement by condemning "all the attacks in these last few hours and days" against Israel following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 10-11/17
In sign of gently warming ties, Bahraini delegation visits Israel
وفد بحريني يزور اسرائيل تعبيراً عن العلاقات الحميمة
The Times Of Israel/December 10/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60940
Members of the 'This is Bahrain' group say they were sent by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 'with a message of peace'
A delegation of religious figures from the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain arrived in Israel this week “in order to send a message of peace,” in an extremely rare instance of representatives from an Arab country without diplomatic relations visiting the Jewish state.
The trip seemed to signal a further warming of ties between Israel and Bahrain, which a report earlier this year said are on a path to normalizing diplomatic relations.
The delegation, which is made up of 24 members of the “This is Bahrain” group — which on its website heralds a commitment to a vision of “religious freedom and peaceful co-existence where we all live together in harmony in the spirit of mutual respect and love” — is in Israel for a four-day visit meant to send a message of religious tolerance and coexistence.
“The king sent us with a message of peace to the whole world,” a Shiite cleric on the trip told Hadashot TV news, which aired a report on Saturday about the group.The delegation, which is made up of 24 members of the “This is Bahrain” group — which on its website heralds a commitment to a vision of “religious freedom and peaceful co-existence where we all live together in harmony in the spirit of mutual respect and love” — is in Israel for a four-day visit meant to send a message of religious tolerance and coexistence.
“The king sent us with a message of peace to the whole world,” a Shiite cleric on the trip told Hadashot TV news, which aired a report on Saturday about the group.
The cleric said that Shiites, who make up a majority of the Sunni ruled country, do not harbor ill will towards members of any other faiths.
“The Shiites in Bahrain and outside don’t feel hatred, they don’t carry a message of loathing or hate towards any religion or religious stream whatsoever,” he said.
Bahrain faced protests from its Shiite community following the outbreak of the Arab Spring across the region in 2011. With the help of Saudi Arabia, which sent troops across the causeway separating the two countries, Bahrain put down the demonstrations, which it accused Shiite majority Iran of helping orchestrate.
Like Israel, Bahrain has extremely fraught relations with Iran, and the September report, from the Middle East Eye website, quoted an unnamed Bahraini official as saying the establishment of ties between Jerusalem and Manama could help counter Iran.
Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center meet with the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Bahrain on February 23, 2017. (Courtesy)
That report came days after a prominent rabbi who met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa told The Times of Israel that the king said he opposes the Arab states’ boycott of Israel and intends to allow citizens from his kingdom to visit the Jewish state freely.
Bahrain, a group of islands in the Persian gulf with a population of 1.4 million, has no formal diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. However, a trickle of Israeli tourists and businessmen have been known to visit the country in recent years.
Other WikiLeaks documents show that senior officials from both countries have spoken in recent years, including a 2007 meeting between then-foreign minister Tzipi Livni and Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in New York. In 2009, Al Khalifa also signaled that he was willing to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to advance the peace process, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the plan.
While Jerusalem and Manama have never maintained diplomatic relations, in 2005, the king boasted to an American official that his state has contacts with Israel “at the intelligence/security level (i.e., with Mossad),” according to a secret US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks. The king also indicated willingness “to move forward in other areas, although it will be difficult for Bahrain to be the first.”
In 2009, Bahrain’s crown prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa penned an op-ed for the Washington Post, in which he urged Arab countries to communicate more with Israel for the sake of the peace process.
In 2016, when former president Shimon Peres died, Bahrain was the only Gulf country to publicly mourn his passing.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-signal-of-gently-warming-ties-bahraini-delegation-visits-israel/

Netanyahu: 'We won't be lectured by Erdogan'
Ynetnews/Reuters/December 10/17
Speaking during a joint press conference with French president in Paris, Netanyahu says he won't take lectures on morality from a leader 'who bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey and who jails journalists'; tells Macron 'just as Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would "not take lectures" from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who over the weekend issued a tirade against Israel, accusing it of being a "terrorist state that murders children." Speaking in a joint press conference in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron Sunday, Netanyahu was asked about Erdogan's comments on Israel, in which he also vowed to use "all means to fight" against the American recognition last week of Jerusalem as the country’s capital. “Mr. Erdogan has attacked Israel. You ask what is my response. I’m not used to receiving lectures about morality from a leader who bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey, who jails journalists, who helps Iran go around international sanctions and who helps terrorists, including in Gaza kill innocent peoplem” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu also said that the Palestinian acceptance that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital will expedite the peace process.
“I offer to Mr. Abbas to sit and negotiate peace, nothing could be simpler,” he said. “There is an effort to continually in UN forums in UNESCO and elsewhere to deny the millennial connection of the Jewish people to Israel. It’s absurd...Where else is the capital of Israel but in Jerusalem?"
Listing the governmental institutions that are stationed in Jerusalem, including the Knesset and the Supreme Court, Netanyahu said ”It’s always been our capital. It’s not in Be’er Sheva, it’s not in Ashdod. It’s always been out capital. It’s never been the capital of any other people. “I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we’ll move towards peace.”His comments come in the wake of an international outcry over US President Donald Trump’s recognition last week of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Israeli prime minister also added that Iran was attempting to set up land, air and naval bases in Syria in an effort to fight and destroy Israel, something which he said “we will not tolerate.”“I think in the Middle East there is not a country that stands as the vanguard of the values that France chooses, that identify France and fights for these values as the State of Israel. Moreover, he reiterated that Israel is in contact with countries in the Middle East that do not have formal relations with Israel.
Macron said that a freeze in Israel’s settlement construction would be an important gesture for peace. While condemning all acts of terrorism against Israel, Macron said that he told Netanyahu that he was against Trump's decision, which was a "dangerous threat to peace."  "I asked Prime Minister Netanyuhu to make some courageous gestures towards the Palestinians to get out of the current impasse," he said, suggesting that a freeze of settlement construction could be s first step. He reaffirmed that France believed that a two-state solution was the only viable option to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Later on, Erdogan's office issued a statement slamming Netanyahu's remarks in Paris. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks targeting the Republic of Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” a spokesperson said, adding that Israel, which disregards international law, has "occupied" the Palestinian people’s hundreds-of-years-old homeland and systematically violates United Nations resolutions, must first account for its own actions.

Erdogan says Israel a 'terrorist state that murders children'
Ynetnews/agencies/December 10/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60951
In fiery speech, Turkish president vows to use 'all means to fight' against American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, says implementation of US decision won't be easy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to Israel Sunday as a "terrorist state that murders children" and vowed to use "all means to fight" against the American recognition of Jerusalem as the country’s capital. “Palestine is an innocent victim. As for Israel, it is a terrorist state, yes, terrorist!” Erdogan said in a fiery speech in the central city of Sivas. “We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a country that kills children.”Erdogan further said that decisions made at the approaching meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would show that US recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would not be easy to implement. A spokesman for Erdogan on Wednesday had announced that the OIC would a hold an urgent meeting in Turkey on December 13 to coordinate a response to the decision by the United States. The OIC, established in 1969, consists of 57 member states with a Muslim majority or a large Muslim population. "We explained to all our interlocutors that the United States' decision does not comply with international law, diplomacy or humanity," Erdogan said at a Justice and Development Party (AKP) assembly in Sivas, referring to phone calls he made to leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and the Pope. "With the roadmap we will create during the OIC meeting, we will show that the decision will not be easy to implement," he said, adding that Turkey considered US President Trump's Jerusalem announcement void. The Arab League, in a statement issued after an emergency session in Cairo on Saturday, called the announcement a "dangerous violation of international law" and said it would seek a UN Security Council resolution rejecting the US move. The Arab League, which consists of Arabic-speaking nations, currently has 22 active member states. Trump's announcement has also upset US allies in the West. At the United Nations, France, Italy, Germany, Britain and Sweden called on the United States to "bring forward detailed proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement". Palestinians took to the streets after the US announcement. Demonstrations also took place in Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as outside the US Embassy in Berlin.
AFP and Reuters contributed to this report.

Newsflash: Jerusalem Not on Fire!
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60951
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11523/jerusalem-not-on-fire
"More journalists than protesters..." — Björn Stritzel, German journalist.
Protests against Israel and the US are not uncommon on the streets of Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem. But for the "war correspondents," there is nothing more exciting than standing behind burning tires and stone throwers and reporting from the heart of the "clashes." Such scenes make the journalists look as if they are in the middle of a battlefield and are risking their lives to bring the story home to their viewers. They might even receive an award for their "courageous" reporting from danger zones!
Jerusalem is tense, and has long been so, because the Palestinians have not yet managed to come to terms with Israel's right to exist. That is the real story. The Palestinians rage and rage for only one reason: because Israel exists. Put that in a story and publish it.The Palestinians declared a three-day-long "rage" spree over US President Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Thus far, however, it seems that the real anger is showing up in the international media, not on the Palestinian street.
Question: How many foreign journalists does it take to cover the Palestinian reaction to Trump's announcement? Answer: As many as the Israel-Palestinian-conflict-obsessed-West can manage to send.
The massive presence of the international media in Jerusalem and the West Bank has taken even the Palestinians by surprise. Since Trump's announcement on December 6, dozens of additional journalists and camera crews have converged on Israel to cover "the big story."
The American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem, once a favorite haunt of international reporters, is once again packed with journalists from around the world.
Some of these reporters, including those working for American networks, have been flown in from their working posts in London, Paris, Cairo and New York to cover what many of them are already calling the "New Palestinian Intifada." But is it really a new intifada, or is it simply wishful thinking on the part of the swarm of Palestinian and foreign reporters?
In the past few days, we have seen wild exaggeration in the media as to what is really happening in and around the Old City of Jerusalem. What is evident, however, is that the number of journalists and photographers covering the protests in the city has thus far exceeded the number of Palestinian protesters.
Let us start with Friday, December 8, the final day of the announced Palestinian "rage." The Palestinian Authority, Hamas and other Palestinian groups told us to expect mass rallies and protests after Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. So did the reporters.
By early morning, at least six television production trucks were stationed in the small parking lot outside the Damascus Gate, the main entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. The trucks belonged to various television stations were presumably brought there to film live broadcasts of the anticipated mass protests. Another 70-80 journalists and photographers were waiting, some impatiently, for the Muslim worshippers to finish their prayers and start their protests against President Trump's announcement.
What we got in the end was a small and peaceful protest of some 40 Palestinians, who chanted slogans against Israel, the US and Arab leaders -- including Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who was dubbed a "traitor" and "Israeli spy."
Björn Stritzel, an honest and brave German journalist, tweeted from the scene: "More journalists than protesters after Friday prayers."
The media frenzy was echoed by several other reporters. "Three days of 'rage' have passed since Trump's Jerusalem declaration and Armageddon hasn't arrived," remarked journalist Oren Kessler. "One is loath to make predictions of continued calm in the region, but thus far the doomsday prophecies have not materialized."
French journalist Piotr Smolar, who also waited for the "big" protest, wrote: "Dozens and dozens of journalists at Damascus gate, where nothing has happened until now."
Joe Dyke, a reporter with Agence France Press (AFP), tweeted this photo showing more journalists than protesters at Damascus Gate. He wrote: "Small Palestinian protest at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem broken up by the Israeli police. They seemed to object to a picture of Trump as a toilet."
Dyke later reported that he had "just walked through Jerusalem's Old City and the situation is very calm. More police on streets but no issues as yet. Tourists milling about."
The following day, Saturday December 9, we witnessed a repetition of the same scenario in Jerusalem. The city was relatively quiet, but the presence of journalists and photographers loomed large. At noon, a small group of Palestinians (25-30) staged a protest on the main business thoroughfare of east Jerusalem, Salah Eddin Street, while chanting slogans against Israel and the US.
Here is how the journalist Seth Frantzman of The Jerusalem Post, who was at the scene, described the situation: "There are more people with cameras here than anyone clashing (with police) at the moment."
Frantzman later had this to say about the "clash": "There are as many media and onlookers taking photos here as there are youth and police waiting for the clashes."
There are nearly 300,000 Arabs living in Jerusalem, and the truth is that the vast majority did not take part in any of the small protests, which were staged deliberately as a show for the dozens of journalists who converged on the city. In fact, there were more protesters on the streets of Berlin, Cairo, Valencia (Spain) and Istanbul than in Jerusalem itself. With the exception of the two incidents at Damascus Gate and Salah Eddin Street, the remaining 28 Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem were mostly quiet, with nothing dramatic happening.
The bored journalists were forced to don their helmets and bullet-proof vests and head to the West Bank, in the hope of capturing scenes of the "New Intifada." What they found in the West Bank, however, was not unusual: minor "clashes" between stone throwers and Israeli soldiers occur almost every day.
Protests against Israel and the US are not uncommon on the streets of Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem. But for the "war correspondents," there is nothing more exciting than standing behind burning tires and stone throwers and reporting from the heart of the "clashes." Such scenes make the journalists look as if they are in the middle of a battlefield and are risking their lives to bring the story home to their viewers. They might even receive an award for their "courageous" reporting from danger zones!
That is what happens when you are afraid to go to Yemen, Libya, Syria or Iraq to cover the real bloodshed.
Let us be frank. The large number of journalists dispatched to Israel expected -- even hoped -- that Trump's announcement would trigger a new Palestinian intifada.
This way, the media could blame Trump for "igniting violence," instigating instability and "derailing" the peace process. It is all about media-based Trump-hatred. Of course, it is also about media-based Israel-hatred, searching for any excuse to blame the Jews for the "suffering" of the Palestinians. The journalists, however, will not let those pesky facts get in their way; they continue to report as if Jerusalem is engulfed in flames. The reality on the ground, though, is far from that.
A Palestinian man uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli border police near Ramallah, on December 9, 2017. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
No peace process is about to be "derailed," for the simple reason that there was not one on the first place -- and there has not been one for years. Why? Mostly thanks to Palestinian rejectionism, indoctrination and incitement. The protests and violence we are witnessing in parts of Jerusalem and the West Bank constitute daily life here. It is not as if the Palestinians have not been carrying out terror attacks against Israel all these years. And it is not as if the Palestinians used to love Israel -- or even recognized its right to exist -- until Trump made his announcement last week.
Newsflash for the journalists: There's nothing new on the Palestinian street. Palestinian threats of violence and walking out of any "peace process" is old, old news. Jerusalem is not on fire. Jerusalem is tense, and has long been so, because the Palestinians have not yet managed to come to terms with Israel's right to exist. That is the real story. The Palestinians rage and rage and rage for only one reason: because Israel exists. Put that in a story and publish it.
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 2017 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.

Why Did Islamic State Kill So Many Sufis in Sinai?
Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11492/islamic-state-sinai-attack
A 2007 report by the Rand Corporation advised Western governments to "harness" Sufism, saying its adherents were "natural allies of the West."
In the end, the Sufi parties are outnumbered by those of their Salafi opponents, meaning that the brotherhoods and the wider Sufi-oriented public must look to the state for protection. In that context, it is important to stress that the massacre in Sinai was not simply another Islamic State attack on people it considered heretics (effectively, in their interpretation of Shari'a law, non-believers), but an assault on everyday mainstream Islam in Egypt, a declaration of apostasy for the vast majority of Egyptian Muslims.
The massive November 24 terrorist attack by Islamic State on a Sufi mosque in a town of little importance, Bir al-Abd, in northern Sinai, resounded across the world. Despite the presence of members of the security services, the al-Rawda mosque also serves as the local headquarters of a prominent Sufi Brotherhood founded by the local al-Jarir clan, a branch of the powerful Al-Sawarkah tribe. The number of dead, somewhat over 300, were shockingly high, yet not higher than the tolls in two earlier Islamic State massacres. In 2014, IS fighters killed 700 men of the Shu'aytat tribe in Dayr al-Zur. "Over a three-day period, vengeful fighters shelled, beheaded, crucified and shot hundreds of members of the Shaitat tribe after they dared to rise up against the extremists." In 2016, a series of bombings in Karrada, a Shi'i district of Baghdad, took some 347 lives.
Islamic State -- though defeated in Syria and Iraq -- remains a major threat in many parts of the world. Its fighters returning to Europe have carried out attacks in Brussels and Paris, and yet others have been welcomed back by naïve government agencies who hope to make them into innocent citizens again by rewarding them with benefits and housing.
In a stunning list of attacks, CNN has identified Islamic State as a global threat: Since declaring itself a caliphate in June 2014, the self-proclaimed "State" has conducted or inspired over 140 terrorist attacks in 29 countries in addition to Iraq and Syria, where its carnage has taken a much deadlier toll. Those attacks have killed and wounded thousands of people.
The massacre at Bir al-Abed is not the first time Islamic State has attacked a Sufi shrine or mosque, nor is it the first time Sufi Muslims have been attacked by Salafi hardliners. Everything and everyone deemed by IS leaders to be "unIslamic" or "insufficiently Islamic" are eligible to be killed or demolished. Ancient sites in Syria; Shi'i Muslims, their mosques and shrines in Iraq; and Yazidis in northern Syria and Iraq have all been the objects of major attacks, in many ways echoing similar massacres by the Wahhabis of Arabia in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
It is easy to trace the recent attack to deep-seated Islamic intolerance, both scriptural and traditional. But the massacre in Sinai raises particular concerns missed by much of the media outside Egypt itself. Fundamentalist Muslims certainly do regard Sufis, Shi'is, Ahmadis, and believers in post-Islamic movements such as the Baha'is, or even followers of reformist trends of Islam as apostates worthy of death as much as they regard Hindus, Buddhists, Yazidis, Sikhs and others as targets for Muslim outrage.
Sufism, however, is more difficult to define, especially in Egypt. The Sufi form of Islam is not and has never been a sect that has broken away from the mainstream faith. Sufis believe in exactly the same things other Muslims believe. Its intellectuals and poets down the centuries have developed mystical and metaphysical ideas that have elevated Islam above its basic origins, producing some of the most outstanding thinkers in the religion. But many of these mystics have served as authorities on Islamic law, as judges, and as government officials.
From the 12th century, Sufis established growing numbers of religious brotherhoods that took Islamic practice in new directions. Sufis perform the daily prayers in mosques the same as all other Muslims. Sufis fast and go on pilgrimages just as anyone else. In the past, they would fight in jihad wars alongside (and even in advance of) others, often building their sacred centres on the borders. Most Sufis are Sunnis: there are very few Shi'i brotherhoods.
In due course, Sufism spread to every corner of the Muslim world, with particular concentrations across North Africa and the Indian sub-continent. The originally Moroccan Shadhili order remains influential as far as South Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Indonesia. One of its several branches is based in Yemen, with followers in Pakistan, India, and Myanmar. Another branch has followers in Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United States.
In 19th-century Egypt, virtually every Muslim belonged to one Sufi order or another. Clearly, it is not a negligible sect. In modern Egypt, 20% or more of the Muslim population belongs to a brotherhood, but Egyptians in general visit Sufi shrines on festivals, pray at the tombs of Sufi saints, and engage with Sufis without any great sense of difference, sharing mosques, schools, clubs, and more simply as fellow believers in Islam. According to Jonathan Brown, writing for the Carnegie Foundation: "Sufism should be seen as the default setting of Muslim religious life in Egypt".
In a recent article for The Atlantic, H. A. Hewllyer makes this point even more strongly:
Until relatively recently, it would have been unthinkable for students in Muslim communities to consider Sufism anything other than an integral part of a holistic Islamic education. The essentials of theology, practice, and spirituality — that is, Sufism — were deemed basic, core elements of even elementary Islamic instruction. And religious figures known for their commitment to Sufism would not have been considered a minority; they would have been by far the norm. Indeed, the very label of an Egyptian "Sufi minority" being bandied about since the mosque attack is a peculiar one: Sufism isn't a sect — it's integral to mainstream Sunni Islam.
Most notably, the head of Cairo's al-Azhar university, regarded as the most important Sunni institution of religious authority and Islamic law in the world, is always a Sufi shaykh. Egypt's Grand Mufti is also a leading Sufi practitioner. The Supreme Council of Sufi Orders deals with the brotherhoods at state level, as a quasi-governmental organization. This alone indicates that Sufism is very far from being a sectarian form of Islam. It may be forbidden in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, persecuted in Iran, and hated by hardliners in Pakistan, but to most Egyptians, it is a part of everyday life.
The head of Cairo's al-Azhar University, regarded as the most important Sunni institution of religious authority and Islamic law in the world, is always a Sufi shaykh. To most Egyptians, Sufism is a part of everyday life. Pictured: Shaykh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, the current Grand Imam of al-Azhar and former president of al-Azhar University. (Photo by Steffi Loos/Getty Images)
After the revolution to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak, starting on January 25, 2011, the political situation in Egypt changed markedly. For a full year, Muslim Brotherhood-supported Mohamed Morsi served as president and rapidly shifted the country to a virtual Islamist state. In 2013, however, he was ousted in a coup led by Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who became president the following year. When that happened, Egyptian Sufis placed their trust in al-Sisi to protect them from the Salafi extremists, who had been assaulting them and their holy places for many years.[1]
During this period, a more contentious political arrangement emerged, with the formation of new parties and the banning of others. The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, which had won a massive 47.2% of votes in parliament in the 2011-2012 elections, was banned in 2014. But other radical Salafist parties emerged, forming an Islamist Bloc, in which the al-Nour party is now the largest. There were over eleven such parties, and though a lawsuit designed to ban them and other religious parties was files in 2013, it did not succeed.
For all their mystical values, Sufis have never been altogether apolitical. They are often involved in military and revolutionary activities. In Egypt, as early as 2011, some Sufi political parties were formed, beginning with the Egyptian Liberation Party (Hizb al-tahrir al-Misri).[2] The Rifa'i Order, one of the largest, created the smaller Sawt al-Hurriyya (Voice of Freedom) party. The Egyptian Liberation Party is strongly supported by the 'Azmiyya Order, but numbers in its ranks Armenians, Muslims, Copts, and Nubians. Its members have also marched alongside Coptic Christians calling for equal rights. Designed to protect the Sufi brotherhoods and the Supreme Council of Sufi Orders, it is portrayed as a reformist civic party. Its political and socio-economic policies would fit well in any Western democracy, and its opposition to extremism and violence presents a real challenge to its Salafi opponents. Indeed, a 2007 report by the Rand Corporation advised Western governments to "harness" Sufism, saying its adherents were "natural allies of the West."
The Egyptian Liberation Party and Sufis generally have been broadly supportive of President al-Sisi. At a conference in Cairo this April, the head of the 'Azmiyya Order, Shaykh 'Alaa Abu'l-'Azayem, told a journalist from Al-Monitor:
"I have told President [Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi to take care of the Sufi leaders. We are the ones who stand against terrorism, fighting not with weapons but ideas."
This is not to say that the new political activism of some orders has been universally accepted by the Sufi community as a whole. The Grand Shaykh of the Orders, 'Abd al-Hadi al-Qassabi, has been highly critical of the shift from spirituality into politics, and further rifts have followed.
In the end, the Sufi parties are outnumbered by those of their Salafi opponents, meaning that the brotherhoods and the wider Sufi-oriented public must look to the state for protection. In that context, it is important to stress that the massacre in Sinai was not simply another Islamic State attack on people it considered heretics (effectively, in their interpretation of Shari'a law, non-believers), but an assault on everyday mainstream Islam in Egypt, a declaration of apostasy for the vast majority of Egyptian Muslims.
As the core constituency for the Muslim Brotherhood and a major centre for Salafi Islam, Egypt cannot afford further divisions within its society. A breakdown of its present consensus could lead to wider strife. With Islamic State active in Libya, Sinai, and Sudan -- already a radicalized country; with Syria in a state of collapse and Lebanon in peril, controlled by Hizbullah, Gaza still controlled by Hamas, Turkey increasingly radical, IS increasingly active in Jordan, and Israel stuck in the middle, the stability of Egypt is paramount for Middle East peace. Should the Salafis allied to the Muslim Brotherhood and linked to Islamic State in Sinai take control of Egypt, we may be sure that the fragile peace treaty the country maintains with Israel will collapse. It is at all costs essential that that must not happen, not just for the sake of Israel, but for the benefit of the vast majority of the Egyptian public, as well as for the region.
*Dr. Denis MacEoin taught Arabic and Islamic Studies (including Sufism) at Newcastle University. He is currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.
[1] For several accounts about Sufism in Egypt before 2013, see here
[2] Not to be confused with the international extremist body, Hizb ut-Tahrir.
© 2017 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.

Welcome to the Hell Hole that is Brussels
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11468/brussels-hell
Last month alone in Brussels, there were three separate outbreaks of rioting and looting on a major scale.
If you penetrate the thick cloud of professional indignation to scrutinize the reality of the "capital of Europe", what you see in many respects is actually a hell hole, one where socialism, Islamism, riots and looting are the new normal.
When then-candidate Donald Trump noted in January 2016 that, thanks to mass immigration, Brussels was turning into a hell hole, Belgian and European politicians presented a united front at the (media) barricades: How dare he say such a thing? Brussels, capital of the European Union, the very quintessence of the post-modern world, the avant-garde of the coming new "global civilization," a hell hole? Of course assimilating newcomers is not always easy, and there may be friction from time to time. But never mind, they said: Trump is a buffoon, and anyway, he has zero chance of getting elected. Such were the thoughts of those avid readers of The New York Times International Edition and regular watchers of CNN International.
However, Donald Trump, in his unmistakable, brash style, was quite simply right: Brussels is rapidly descending into chaos and anarchy. Exactly two months after that dramatic Trumpism, Brussels was eviscerated by a horrific Islamic terror attack that left 32 people dead. And that was only the tip of the monstrous iceberg that has built up over three decades of mass immigration and socialist madness.
Last month alone in Brussels, there were three separate outbreaks of rioting and looting on a major scale.
First, there was the qualification of the Moroccan team to the soccer World Cup: between 300 and 500 "youths" of foreign origin took to the streets of Brussels to "celebrate" the event in their own way, looting dozens of shops in the historical center of Brussels, wreaking havoc in the deserted avenues of the "capital of civilization" and, during their riot, injuring 22 police officers.
Riot police, backed by a water cannon, attempt to push back rioters in the center of Brussels, Belgium, on November 12. Hundreds of "youths" of foreign origin "celebrated" the World Cup qualification of Morocco's soccer team by rioting and injuring 22 police officers. (Image source: Ruptly video screenshot)
Three days later, a social media rap music star nicknamed "Vargasss 92," who is a French citizen of foreign origin, decided to organize another unauthorized "celebration" in the center of Brussels, which quickly turned into another riot. Again, shops were destroyed and people assaulted for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Short clips of the event streamed onto the social networks, showing the world (and Belgians) the true face of Brussels without the politicians' makeover. No wonder the European political elite hate social media from the depths of their hearts; they prefer the sanitized (and, in both France and francophone Belgium, heavily subsidized) traditional press.
Finally, on November 25, the socialist authorities in charge of the City of Brussels had the bright idea of authorizing a demonstration against slavery in Libya, which quickly descended into yet another riot: shops were destroyed, cars set on fire, 71 people arrested.
This lawlessness, with not even the remotest political justification, is the new normal in Brussels. Politicians may not like that fact, which is the result of their lamentable failure, but it is nonetheless a massive and unavoidable fact. The new Brussels is characterized by riots and looting by people of foreign origin, as well as the ongoing heavily-armed military presence in the streets of Brussels, in place since March 22, 2016, the day that European Islamists murdered 32 and wounded 340 people in the worst-ever terrorist attack in Belgium.
One may wonder why these fine Belgian soldiers patrolling the streets do nothing to stop the rioters. For the simple reason that it is outside of their remit; should a soldier actually hurt a looter, he would probably be publicly chastised, pilloried by the media, put on trial and dishonorably discharged.
It would be funny if it were not so serious. After the first two recent riots, Belgian state television (RTBF) organized a debate with politicians and pundits from Brussels. Among the participants was Senator Alain Destexhe, from the center-right Reformist Movement (the party of Belgium's Prime Minister).
Destexhe is an interesting figure in Belgian politics. In French-speaking Belgium, he has been among the few to say publicly that the mass-immigration Belgians are inflicting upon themselves is unsustainable, that Islam may not be such a peaceful religion, and that school classes in which 90% of the children are of foreign origin, who do not speak French or Dutch at home, are not a recipe for success. Such may be taken as a given in much of the Western world, but in the French-speaking part of Belgium, heavily influenced by the French worldview, he was considered right-wing, if not an extremist, a racist, and other such niceties the Left often utters.
When, during this debate, Destexhe tried to make his point -- that there is a connection between the non-integration of many people of foreign origin in Brussels and the decades-long high level of immigration -- the moderator literally yelled at him that "Migration is not the subject, Monsieur Destexhe! MIGRATION IS NOT THE SUBJECT, STOP!", before giving the word to a "slam poet", a young woman who explained that the problem was that women wearing the Islamic veil (such as herself) do not feel welcome in Brussels. The audience was then instructed to applaud her. Also on the set was a Green Party politician who affirmed that "nobody knows the origin of the rioters." Hint: they were, in their own idiosyncratic way, "celebrating" Morocco's victory. A great moment of Belgian surrealism? No, just a typical political "debate" in French-speaking Belgium, except that normally Destexhe is not invited.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning that the very night that the first riot began, November 11, an association called MRAX (Mouvement contre le racisme, l'antisémitisme et la xénophobie) published on its Facebook page an appeal to report any case of "police provocation" or "police violence". The results of the riot? 22 police officers hurt, zero arrests. MRAX is not only a bunch of leftist Islamist sympathizers, they are heavily financed by taxpayers. Are movements from the right also financed by taxpayers? Simply put: No. In Brussels, the unemployment rate is a staggering 16.9%, a mind-boggling 90% of those on welfare have foreign origins, and although taxes are among the highest in the world, the public coffers are nonetheless bleeding. A sad snapshot of yet another socialist failure.
But there is hope. Brussels is not only Molenbeek and rioting, it has a robust tradition of entrepreneurship, and Belgium's federal government, particularly its Flemish component, is extremely conscious of the challenges that need facing. But nothing is going to change if people do not recognize that in many respects Brussels has, from the opulent conservative and "bourgeois" city that it was 25 years ago, morphed into a hell hole.
Ironically, what Brussels now obviously needs is another Donald Trump.
Drieu Godefridi, a classical-liberal Belgian author, is the founder of the l'Institut Hayek in Brussels. He has a PhD in Philosophy from the Sorbonne in Paris and also heads investments in European companies.
© 2017 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.