LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 19/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.february19.18.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since
2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible
Quotations
Hell as
Portrayed in The Rich Man and Lazarus Parable
Luke 16/19-31: “There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive
clothes and lived in great luxury every day. There was also a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man's door,
hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table. Even the
dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the
angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven. The rich man died and
was buried, and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw
Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, ‘Father
Abraham! Take pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water
and cool off my tongue, because I am in great pain in this fire!’ But
Abraham said, ‘Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all
the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is
enjoying himself here, while you are in pain. Besides all that, there is a
deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to
you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are.’ The
rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's
house, where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at
least, will not come to this place of pain.’ Abraham said, ‘Your brothers
have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to
what they say.’ The rich man answered, ‘That is not enough, father Abraham!
But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn
from their sins.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and
the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from
death.’”
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on February 18-19/18
Netanyahu Threatens to Act Against Iran, 'Not Just Against Its Proxies'/Noa
Landau (Munich)/Haaretz/ February 18, 2018
Could Natural Gas In The Mediterranean Spark The Third Lebanese War/Oded
Eran/Jerusalem Post/February 18/18
Thank God for the Olympics/Geert Wilders/Gatestone Institute/February
18/2018
'Do Not Test Israel', Netanyahu Tells Iran/AFP./February 18/18
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on February 18-19/18
Lebanese Defense Minister: We Will Not Start War with Israel, but we Will
Defend ourselves
Aoun: Syrian Refugee Burden is Exhausting Lebanon
Satterfield Meets Israeli Minister over Gas Row with Lebanon
Refugees Evacuated, Families Trapped as Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc across
Lebanon
Report: Satterfield Admits Block 9 Belongs to Lebanon, Suggests 'Giving
Something' to Israel
Hariri: Electricity dossier on Cabinet's table soon to come up with
appropriate solution
Machnouk: To participate heavily in Beirut's elections in defense of its
fate
Bassil: Many projects for Zahle were sent to Cabinet, but capabilities are
few
Hasbani: Deterrent force solely in Lebanese Army's hands, under State's
custody
Zeaiter lays cornerstone for border garden with Palestine: We will not
accept May 17 water or oil agreement, our rights remain ours
Tueni: Israeli officials are aware of Lebanon's capacity to fight them
Foreign Affairs Ministry: Transfer of both Lebanese victims' bodies awaits
police, forensic doctor reports in Turkey
Sami Gemayel Pinpoints Biggest Problem in Lebanon's Political Life
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 18-19/18
Netanyahu Threatens to Act Against Iran, 'Not Just Against Its Proxies'
Israel Kills 2 Palestinians after Gaza Bombing Injures 4 Soldiers
US Says Will Investigate Syria Attack Involving Russian Citizens
Netanyahu Warns Iran ‘Tyrants’ against ‘Testing Israel’s Resolve’
Syria Says Repelled Infiltration from Lebanon, 1 Dead
UNDP Administrator Meets Officials, Highlights Impact of Syrian Crisis on
Lebanon
'Do Not Test Israel', Netanyahu Tells Iran
Saudi Arabia Vows to Continue Pressuring Iran to Change Behavior
Iranian Promises to Lift House Arrest for Green Movement Leaders Mousavi,
Karroubi
UN Security Council May Condemn Iran for Supplying Houthis with Missiles
66 Killed in Iran Plane Crash
Abbas to Ask for a Palestinian State During Security Council Meeting on Feb
20
Latest Lebanese Related News published
on February 18-19/18
Lebanese Defense
Minister: We Will Not Start War with Israel, but we Will Defend ourselves
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Lebanese Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf
declared on Saturday that Lebanon will not wage a war against Israel, “but
it will defend its sovereignty.”“We are completely prepared to defend our
land,” he stressed during a meeting with Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit
on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. Tensions have been high
between Lebanon and Israel over the former’s intention to explore its
offshore oil and gas wealth in an area that is contested with its southern
neighbor. “The whole of Lebanon is united over this cause and it stands
behind its army and institutions,” Sarraf continued from Munich. He stated
that Lebanon is attached to its oil wealth, adding: “Lebanon stands by Arab
countries and it believes that Arab solidarity is a powerful way to protect
our nations and resolve our crises.”The minister therefore urged for the
greatest Arab solidarity against attempts to undermine Lebanon’s rights,
saying Israel should be pressured to respect international laws. For his
part, Abul Gheit rejected “any attempts by Israel to create problems and
violate Lebanese rights, whether in the offshore exploration file or its
intention to construct a wall along its border with Lebanon.”
The latter, he said, is a blatant violation of United Nations Security
Council resolution 1701 and threatens security and stability in the border
region.
Aoun: Syrian Refugee Burden is Exhausting Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced on
Saturday that there was a “pressing” need to resolve the burden Syrian
refugees are posing on his country. “The numbers of refugees have reached
nearly half of Lebanon’s population,” he told the Rotary Presidential
Peacebuilding Conference 2018. This has led to massive pressure on the
country’s economy despite the “massive efforts exerted by public and civil
institutions in Lebanon to help the refugees and meet their needs,” he
continued. “The burden of the refugees has become exhausting on Lebanon and
the refugees themselves,” he stressed. Lebanon is a country of limited
resources and its small geographic size cannot tolerate such a long-term
increase in its population, Aoun said. The president had earlier held talks
with visiting Administrator of the United Nations Development Program Achim
Steiner, who was also present at the Rotary conference. Addressing the UN
official, Aoun said: “We hope that you will hear our voice and relay our
struggles, as well as the voice of the refugees and their suffering.” “They
definitely want to return to their homeland and live in dignity, and not
continue on living in camps,” he remarked. Steiner had met during his
Lebanon visit Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri and Interior
Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq. A UN statement said that he discussed the
challenges Lebanon has been facing since the eruption of the Syrian crisis.
Satterfield Meets Israeli Minister over Gas Row with
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 18/18/Israeli Energy Minister Yuval
Steinitz met Sunday with a senior United States official seeking to defuse
an escalating oil and gas dispute with Lebanon, his office said. A statement
from his spokesman said Steinitz held talks with Acting Assistant Secretary
of State David Satterfield about conflicting claims to energy reserves off
the coasts of Lebanon and Israel. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
said on Friday that Lebanon was strong enough to withstand U.S. and Israeli
pressure and to put Israeli gas rigs out of action. Last week Lebanon signed
its first contract to drill for oil and gas in a pair of offshore zones,
including one that Israel says belongs to it. Lebanese officials have said
the whole zone belongs to Lebanom while Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor
Lieberman has insisted it is solidly in Israeli territory. Sunday's Israeli
statement quoted Steinitz as telling Satterfield that "a diplomatic solution
is preferable for both sides."It added that the two agreed to meet again
during the coming week. Satterfield also held talks on the issue with top
officials in Lebanon. In 2006, Israel fought a 34-day war against
Iranian-backed Hizbullah in which more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly
civilians, and 120 Israelis, the majority soldiers, died. Israeli
authorities said that in the course of the fighting Hizbullah fired 3,970
rockets into Israel . Meanwhile work began on February 7 in Germany on four
advanced corvettes for the Israeli navy "that will protect gas rigs and
economic enterprises in Israeli waters," the Israeli military said. It said
that the "Saar 6" warships, to enter service between 2020 and 2022, would be
equipped with helipads and advanced missiles. "Protecting strategic economic
assets in Israeli waters is a priority for the state of Israel," the Israeli
navy's website announced last week. In November, Israel installed a battery
of its Iron Dome anti-missile system on a warship for the first time,
calling it a valuable asset in protecting its offshore natural gas fields.
Israel has major gas fields off its northern coast and is building valuable
infrastructure to get the fuel out of the ground and onto land, all within
range of Hizbullah rockets. Tamar, which began production in 2013, has
estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic meters. Leviathan, discovered
in 2010 and set to begin production in 2019, is estimated to hold 18.9
trillion cubic feet (535 billion cubic meters) of natural gas, along with
34.1 million barrels of condensate.
Refugees Evacuated, Families Trapped as Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc across
Lebanon
Naharnet/February 18/18/Flooding caused by heavy rains has caused damages
across Lebanon, trapping Lebanese families and destroying Syrian refugee
encampments. "Since 2 am, Lebanese Red Cross crews have been evacuating and
assisting dozens of Syrian families in the Akkar plain region who have been
hit by flash floods from the waters of the al-Ostwan and al-Kabir rivers,"
the National News Agency said. In the northern region of Minieh, more than
50 families were trapped by flood waters that filled the underground floors
of some buildings and covered areas around them, amid water levels of 1.5
meter. Flood waters meanwhile invaded agricultural fields and homes in the
Akkar region, especially in the outskirts of Quleiat, trapping some families
and destroying crops. In Chekka, waters from the al-Osfour river drowned
nearby fields and stormed into the Palmera resort. "Security agencies and
Civil Defense crews are pumping water out of rooms and challets and pulling
out submerged cars," NNA said. Restaurants on the two banks of the river
were also invaded by flooding water. In the South, the heavy rains raised
the water levels of the Hasbani river, which overflowed and submerged nearby
groves and parks. High Relief Commission chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir
meanwhile inspected the bridge of the al-Shalfeh river that connects the
Zgharta district to Tripoli's Abi Samra, which is facing the threat of
collapse. The bridge has incurred major cracks after being sumberged by
flooding waters overnight. Engineering crews from the Tripoli Municipality
examined the bridge and decided to close it pending maintenance.
Report: Satterfield Admits Block 9 Belongs to Lebanon,
Suggests 'Giving Something' to Israel
Assistant U.S. Secretary of State David Satterfield admitted during
negotiations with Lebanese leaders that the offshore gas Block 9 belongs to
Lebanon as he urged them to "give something" of it to Israel, al-Hayat
newspaper reported. Official sources informed on the negotiations also told
the daily in remarks published Sunday that "Lebanon has a study and maps for
the disputed maritime area that allow it to say that it owns an area
exceeding the declared 860 square kilometers." "Some aspects of the maps
were discussed during the meeting of the Public Works Parliamentary
Committee on Thursday," the sources added. Lebanon this month signed its
first contract to drill for oil and gas in a pair of offshore zones,
including one that Israel says belongs to it. The United States has sought
to mediate the disagreement, with Satterfield meeting with top officials in
Lebanon since February 6.
A consortium comprising energy giants Total, ENI, and Novatek has pledged to
begin drilling off of Lebanon's coast by 2019. Total has said that the
dispute between Lebanon and Israel over Block 9 only covers eight percent of
its surface area. But Lebanese officials have said the whole zone belongs to
Lebanon, and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has insisted it is
solidly in Israeli territory.
Hariri: Electricity dossier on Cabinet's table soon to
come up with appropriate solution
Sun 18 Feb 2018/NNA - Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri asserted Saturday that
his sole concern is "to continue the policy of protecting Lebanon and the
Lebanese from the ramifications, fires and wars of the region, and to do
everything possible to revive the economy, provide job opportunities for the
youth and work to solve the electricity, water and waste problems." In this
context, Hariri disclosed that the electricity dossier would be on the
Council of Ministers' work agenda soon, in order to decide on a suitable
solution "since it is not permissible for the electricity problem to
continue as is, draining both the citizen and the State's treasury for the
interest of a few benefiting sides," he noted. Addressing a delegation of
Beiruti families who visited him at the "House of Center" yesterday, Hariri
vowed to continue the march of his late father, Martyr PM Rafic Hariri, with
their help and support, a march "aimed at improving the country and the
living standards of its citizens," he said. "Martyr Rafic Hariri always took
the path of dialogue to solve problems and was able to reach outstanding
achievements in the process of reconstruction, overcoming the repercussions
of the civil war and activating the economic cycle...and we are continuing
with this policy that is ultimately aimed at solving the problems and facing
the many challenges that await us," Hariri underscored. "We are going to
hold the parliamentary elections early next May, which are important because
they will determine the shape of the new parliament and the future political
course of Lebanon. Your intense participation is a national responsibility
at this stage. It is the duty of every Beruti to protect the decision of the
capital, refusing to hand over this decision to any other options, which
only aim at weakening Beirut and crossing out its role from the Lebanese
political map," Hariri concluded.
Machnouk: To participate heavily in Beirut's elections
in defense of its fate
Sun 18 Feb 2018/NNA - Interior and Municipalities Minister, Nuhad al-Machnouk,
called upon the people of Beirut and all of Lebanon to "participate heavily
in election day on May 6," stressing that "every vote makes a difference in
this new law.""Voting for the Future Movement's electoral list will protect
the capital from the lists of opponents who wish to break the city and its
decision," said Machnouk during a brunch organized by the "Salaheddine Grand
Association" at the "Lamb House" Restaurant in Beirut on Sunday. "It is the
first time we say that voting is in defense of the city, something which was
never mentioned in any previous elections," he added, asserting that "each
of us must partake in the elections." Machnouk renewed his rejection of any
talk about injustice to Beirut "for this a great city that has resisted all
the calamities of the past and risen time and again." "It is more effective
to work relentlessly to achieve change rather than frustrating people with
talk about being oppressed," deemed Machnouk.
Bassil: Many projects for Zahle were sent to Cabinet,
but capabilities are few
Sun 18 Feb 2018/NNA - Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, Gebran
Bassil, said Sunday that "many projects for Zahle were raised by the Change
and Reform Parliamentary Bloc to the Council of Ministers, included within
its large investment plan, but the capabilities are few and what helps us is
to be united and not to obstruct each other's work." Bassil's words came
during a luncheon held in his honor at the "Arabi Casino" in Zahle, attended
by members of the Union of Municipalities of Zahle, Middle Bekaa and East
Zahle. "We are on the verge of parliamentary elections, but I like to
discuss development outside the election season so as not to be interpreted
as promises," Bassil added. "In brief, it is not about our love for Zahle
nor about its geographical position between Lebanon and Syria and the great
importance it represents, for it is in need of great care," Bassil went on,
outlining some of the projects that have been achieved for Zahle and others
that are still underway. "Members of the new parliament and the municipality
of Zahle have to agree on Zahle's demands and priority projects," stated
Bassil. He concluded by addressing the issue of public waste, saying that
"this file is the responsibility of municipalities and municipality unions."
Hasbani: Deterrent force solely in Lebanese Army's
hands, under State's custody
Sun 18 Feb 2018/NNA - Deputy Prime Minister, Public Health Minister Ghassan
Hasbani said Sunday that the country's deterrent and defense force was
solely in the hands of the Lebanese Army and under the aegis of the Lebanese
State. "For this reason, weapons outside the State are unjustifiable," he
added. "We cannot doubt for a moment the ability of the Lebanese Army, which
proved to be highly capable and the best evidence was its combat of
terrorism," stressed Hasbani. Speaking in an interview to Radio "Voice of
Lebanon" - Dbayeh, Hasbani deemed that "the reluctance of the international
community to equip the Lebanese Army is due to the presence of illegal
weapons." "Our principle is that the Lebanese Army is the first defense
authority, behind which we will all stand in wake of any aggression. Any
other words are used to justify the illegality of weapons outside the
State," he added. We all have to defend Lebanon's wealth, resources and
borders, and to confront any aggression against it...and we must all defend
it under the umbrella of the Lebanese State and legitimacy," underlined
Hasbani in response to a recent speech by Hezbollah's Secretary-General. On
the "Hoff" line and the Israeli threats, the Deputy Prime Minister said: "We
asked the Council of Ministers to seek the help of experts to provide a
technical explanation of the solutions on which the Lebanese position was
based, especially with regards to determining the maritime borders. It is
has to be clear to us what are the rights of Lebanon, and will not give up
any inch of its territory or water." Regarding the discussion of the annual
budget, Hasbani noted that this required a strategic vision, before going
into details. Over the electricity dossier, the Minister said that the
Lebanese Forces had a global vision in this regards, unlike some other
parties. He added that the LF Party was in favor of any diligent solution in
accordance with the applicable laws, noting that they called for speeding-up
the plan for permanent power plants.
Zeaiter lays cornerstone for border garden with
Palestine: We will not accept May 17 water or oil agreement, our rights
remain ours
Sat 17 Feb 2018/ NNA -"We will never accept any May 17 water or oil
agreement, and our rights will remain ours no matter the sacrifices,"
stressed Agriculture Minister Ghazi Zeaiter on Saturday, as he laid the
cornerstone of the border garden with occupied Palestine in the South, which
extends from the Gate of Fatima to the outskirts of the Southern town of
Oddeisseh. In his word on the occasion, Zeaiter recalled the "sacrifices of
resistance fighters for the liberation of the land and human dignity."
"Agriculture is the link that strengthens the citizen's connection to his
land, and steadfastness in his home and town," Zeaiter underscored. In turn,
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who also took part in the event,
reiterated Lebanon's rejection of any Israeli attempt to encroach on its
legal rights. In this context, Khalil stressed on the Lebanese people's
unanimous support to their army in confronting any breach of Lebanon's
borders, and the resistance's readiness for any legitimate confrontation
with the Israeli enemy. "Lebanon rejects any violation of its rights, and
adheres only to the mechanisms employed by the United Nations to determine
the right of each party," Khalil underlined.
Tueni: Israeli officials are aware of Lebanon's capacity to fight them
Sun 18 Feb 2018/NNA - Minister of State for the Fight against Corruption,
Nicolas Tueni, said Sunday that Israel was convinced that Lebanon was
capable of confronting any possible aggression against Lebanon. "Israeli
officials are convinced of Lebanon's ability to lead the fight against them
and know the price they will pay for any adventure they would consider, but
they will not dare," Tueni said in a statement. The statement added that
"any Israeli threats against Lebanon, its territorial waters and its oil
resources, will bounce back in the first place on Israel and its officials."
Tueni deemed that the hostile positions toward Lebanon were
counterproductive and unwise to what the Zionist rulers wanted. "The hostile
positions against Lebanon were counterproductive for the reason that the
companies operating in Israel will not continue their work, in the climate
of terrorism provoked by the Israeli officials," the statement added. Tueni
concluded by saying that the "Lebanon's unified position" against Israel's
attempts to encroach on the land and sea borders stressed "the determination
of the Lebanese people to fight any aggression led by Israeli officials."
Foreign Affairs Ministry: Transfer of both Lebanese
victims' bodies awaits police, forensic doctor reports in Turkey
Sat 17 Feb 2018/NNA - In a statement by the Lebanese Foreign Affairs and
Expatriates Ministry on Saturday, it indicated that it had received
information from Lebanon's General Consul in Istanbul, Mounir Anouti, that
"the Turkish police have found the bodies of Lebanese citizen Mohammed
Mahmoud Bashir, born 1978 in Sidon, and his wife Nisrine Kreidi, a Syrian
born in 1978, who were killed in Arnavutkoy in Istanbul." Upon receiving the
regretful news, the Lebanese Consulate immediately contacted the brother of
the deceased, Bassel Bashir, who identified the two bodies at the police
station. The latter disclosed that two Syrian nationals suspected of
involvement in the killing were arrested. The statement denied circulated
news of the deceased's missing ten-year-old son, asserting that "the
deceased had only one daughter who was not present at the time of the
incident." The Foreign Ministry concluded its statement by indicating that
"the transfer of the bodies to Beirut is pending the Turkish police and
forensic doctor's reports on the cause of the death."
Sami Gemayel Pinpoints Biggest Problem in Lebanon's
Political Life
Kataeb.org/Sunday 18th February 2018/Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel said that
the biggest challenge for anyone in Lebanon is to stay honest amid the
degrading level of ethics that the country is witnessing. "The biggest
problem plaguing Lebanon's political life nowadays is the absence of
morality, values and constants as financial and personal interests are being
favored over those of the nation and its people," Gemayel said during a
meeting with residents of the Metn towns of Ain Al-Safsaf, Ain Al-Zaytoune,
Mar Mkhayil Bnabil, Mazraat Bnabil and Al-Khalle.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 18-19/18
Netanyahu Threatens to
Act Against Iran, 'Not Just Against Its Proxies'
نتنياهو يهدد إيران وليس فقط أذرعتها
Noa Landau (Munich)/Haaretz/ February 18, 2018
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/62687
In remarks at Munich Security Conference, PM holds up wreckage of Iranian
drone intercepted over Israel, warns Iranian FM: 'Don't test us'
MUNICH - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Sunday warned Israel would act against Iran, and not only against its
proxies, if needed. "We will act if necessary not just against Iran's
proxies but against Iran itself," he said," Netanyahu told the Munich
Security Conference. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who spoke after
Netanyahu, ridiculed the Israeli premier's remarks and called them 'a
cartoonish circus.' During his speech, Netanyahu said that Iran was not Nazi
Germany, but stated that the two regimes share many similarities. "Israel
will not allow the Iranian regime to put a noose of terror around our neck,"
Netanyahu said. Netanyahu held up a piece of an Iranian drone Israel shot
down last week after it infiltrated its territory. Holding the wreckage,
Netanyahu asked Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was
sitting in the crowd: "Do you recognize it? You should, it’s yours. Don’t
test us."An Iranian drone that crossed into Israeli airspace was intercepted
by the Israel Air Force on February 10, sparking a flare-up between Israel
and Syria, with an Israeli F-16 shot down and an extensive Israeli strike
against Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria.
In a briefing two days later, the Israel Air Force’s second-in-command,
Brig. Gen. Tomer Bar, admitted that he still had no idea what mission the
Shahed-141 drone was on. Asked during a questions and answers session about
the feasibility of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians,
the prime minister reiterated he does not support a full Palestinian state,
but a "state minus." Netanyahu said the Palestinians should have self-rule,
but not the "freedom to threaten our security."
Israel Kills 2 Palestinians after Gaza Bombing Injures
4 Soldiers
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/The Israeli military killed two Palestinians
in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in an apparent retaliation for a bombing on the
border with the Palestinian enclave on Saturday that left four soldiers
injured. The two Palestinian fatalities were identified by the Gaza health
ministry as Salam Sabah and Abdullah Abu Sheikha, both 17, who were killed
during a strike east of Rafah in southern Gaza. The Saturday explosion and
ensuing Israeli air strikes marked one of the most serious escalations in
the Hamas-ruled enclave since Hamas and Israel fought a war in 2014.
Israel's army said it attacked "18 terror targets belonging to the Hamas
terror organization" in two waves of air strikes following the blast. "Eight
targets were attacked in a military compound near Deir el Balah, which
belongs to the Hamas terror organization, including weapon-manufacturing and
training infrastructures," it said in a statement early Sunday. It earlier
said fighter jets had targeted "six military targets in Gaza belonging to
Hamas, including: a terror tunnel in the Zaytun area and military compounds
near Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis". The army also reported that a "launch
was identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory", with a projectile
hitting near a home in a southern Israeli community. An Israeli police
spokesman said the projectile had damaged a building but caused no injuries.
According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, they were shot by Israeli forces near
the border on Saturday. The Israeli army said that its forces had fired
"warning shots" at a number of Palestinians approaching the border fence "in
a suspicious manner". Speaking at a security conference in Munich late
Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called the Gaza
border incident "very serious" and pledged to "respond appropriately". A
Palestinian security source said the Israeli air strikes hit three bases
belonging to Hamas in the east of the blockaded Gaza enclave. Two
Palestinians were injured in the raids, Palestinian medical sources said.
Earlier in the day the army said "two soldiers were severely wounded, one
moderately and one slightly" when an improvised explosive device blew up
along the border fence with Gaza. None of the soldiers' lives were in
danger, a spokesman said. Palestinian security sources said the explosion
took place east of the city of Khan Yunis. In response Israeli forces said a
tank promptly opened fire at an "observation post" in southern Gaza, causing
no injuries on the Palestinian side. Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant
Colonel Jonathan Conricus said a "rogue group" had claimed responsibility
for the bomb blast, likely indicating one of the more radical extremist
groups who are present in Gaza.
But he insisted that "from our point of view Hamas is responsible" and said
the explosive had been planted during a protest arranged by the group on
Friday.
US Says Will Investigate Syria Attack Involving Russian
Citizens
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/The United States pledged on Saturday to
investigate a February 7 attack involving Russian citizens against
American-allied forces in Syria. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said: “I
understand that the Russian government now is saying that some of their
not-military forces, contractors, were involved in that still unexplained
attack.”He added that Russian officers the US coordinated with were
"apparently" unaware of the attack. "But they took directions from someone.
Was it local directions? Was it from external sources? Don't ask me, I don't
know. But I doubt that 250 to 300 people, all just excited on their
individual self, suddenly crossed the river in enemy territory, started
shelling a location and maneuvering tanks against it. "So, whatever
happened, we'll try to figure it out. We'll work with obviously anyone who
can answer that question." Russia has acknowledged that five of its citizens
were killed in a US-led coalition bombing in the eastern Deir al-Zour
province after they were part of a group of pro-regime combatants which led
an attack on positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces. At the time of
the attack on February 7, the Russian defense ministry insisted it had no
servicemen in the eastern province of Syria. The US has estimated about 100
pro-Syrian regime forces were killed by US strikes to repel the attack. Many
Russian citizens are fighting in Syria as mercenaries working for a private
military company called Wagner according to numerous reports. Reuters has
reported that about 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked Russian private
military firm were either killed or injured in Syria. Mercenaries not
directly affiliated with the Russian military may be convenient for Moscow's
interests in Syria while assuring deniability of government involvement.
Russian officials deny they deploy private military contractors in Syria,
saying Moscow’s only military presence is a campaign of air strikes, a naval
base, military instructors training Syrian forces, and limited numbers of
special forces troops. But according to people familiar with the deployment,
Russia is using large numbers of the contractors in Syria because that
allows Moscow to put more boots on the ground without risking regular
soldiers whose deaths have to be accounted for. The contractors, mostly
ex-military, carry out missions assigned to them by the Russian military,
the people familiar with the deployment said. Most are Russian citizens,
though some have Ukrainian and Serbian passports.
Netanyahu Warns Iran ‘Tyrants’ against ‘Testing
Israel’s Resolve’
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated
on Sunday that Iran was the most dangerous threat in the world, saying that
Israel was ready to act against Tehran and not just its “proxies” in Syria.
Saying he had "a message to the tyrants of Tehran" during a speech at the
Munich Security Conference, he warned: "Do not test Israel's resolve."
“Israel will not allow the regime to put a noose of terror around our
neck.”He brandished a rectangular piece of dark green metal which he called
"a piece of that Iranian drone, or what's left of it, after we shot it
down." Calling Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the
"smooth-talking mouthpiece of Iran's regime," Netanyahu said: "Mr. Zarif, do
you recognize this? You should, it's yours." Israel has said it shot down
the drone on February 10 after it entered the country from Syria, and
responded with a raid on what it said was the Iranian control systems for
the craft in Syria. During the strikes, one of Israel's F-16 fighter jets
was shot down, believed to be the first loss of an Israeli plane in combat
since 1982. Israel's response marked the first time it publicly acknowledged
hitting Iranian targets in Syria since the 2011 start of the war there.
Again referring to Zarif, who is expected to speak later in Munich,
Netanyahu said: "No doubt Mr. Zarif will brazenly deny Iran's involvement in
Syria.""He lies with eloquence."The Israeli military has claimed the drone
was a copy of a US model captured by Iran in 2011, based on an analysis of
the drone's debris. Addressing the Munich event for the first time,
Netanyahu urged gathered US and European officials and diplomats to counter
Iran immediately, displaying a map showing what he said was Iran’s growing
presence in the Middle East. He said Iran was increasing its power as the
US-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and Syria regains territory from the
terrorists. “The unfortunate thing is that as ISIS compresses and Iran moves
in, it is trying to establish this continuous empire surrounding the Middle
East from the south in Yemen but also trying to create a land bridge from
Iran to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “This is a very
dangerous development for our region.”
Syria Says Repelled Infiltration from Lebanon, 1 Dead
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 18/18/Syrian border guards have
clashed with a group of people attempting to sneak into the country from
neighboring Lebanon, Syrian state media reported , saying one "terrorist"
was killed. News agency SANA said Syrian army guards clashed at noon
Saturday "with a terrorist group" as they tried to enter central Homs
province via an unofficial border crossing from northern Lebanon. "The
clashes ended with the killing of a member of the terrorist group, and the
rest fleeing towards Lebanese territory," SANA reported. A Lebanese military
source told AFP that a Syrian was killed in an "armed skirmish" as people
were being smuggled into Lebanon. "One Syrian was killed and a second person
was wounded and is being treated at a hospital in northern Lebanon," the
source said. And Lebanon's National News Agency also said a Syrian national
was killed on Friday night on the Syrian side of the al-Kabir River, which
serves as the northern border between the two countries. "Another Syrian
living in (the Lebanese village) of al-Abboudiyeh was wounded, but he
managed to cross the river into Lebanon," the NNA reported. It was not
possible to confirm if the Lebanese and Syrian sources were talking about
the same incident. Syria's nearly seven-year war has regularly spilled over
into Lebanon, with several suicide blasts rocking the country in recent
years and armed groups entrenching themselves along the border.
UNDP Administrator Meets Officials, Highlights Impact of Syrian Crisis on
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 18/18/Administrator of the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) Achim Steiner, visited Lebanon on
February 15 and met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri and
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, the UNDP said in a statement Saturday.
Steiner discussed some of the challenges facing Lebanon since the outbreak
of the Syrian crisis, revealing that Lebanon should be assisted in managing
the public service it provides to the entire world, the statement said.
Steiner visited the neighborhood of Bourj Hammoud northeast of Beirut, which
hosts around 19,000 Syrian refugees, to learn more about the impact of the
crisis at the local level and the ways in which Lebanese communities and
refugees deal with everyday life issues. During his visit, Steiner also
participated in a roundtable on Lebanon's efforts to achieving the
objectives of sustainable development, with the participation of lawmakers,
ministers, representatives of civil society and the private sector.
'Do Not Test Israel', Netanyahu Tells Iran
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 18/18/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu warned Tehran on Sunday over aggressions by what he called Iran
and its "proxies" in Syria, while showing what he claimed was a piece of an
Iranian drone shot down in Israeli airspace. Saying he had "a message to the
tyrants of Tehran" during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, he
warned: "Do not test Israel's resolve."He brandished a rectangular piece of
dark green metal which he called "a piece of that Iranian drone, or what's
left of it, after we shot it down." Israel has said it shot down the drone
on February 10 after it entered the country from Syria, and responded with a
raid on what it said was the Iranian control systems for the craft in Syria.
It marked the first time Israel publicly acknowledged hitting Iranian
targets in Syria since the 2011 start of the civil war there. During the
strikes, one of Israel's F-16 fighter jets was shot down, believed to be the
first loss of an Israeli plane in combat since 1982. Calling Iran's Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif the "smooth-talking mouthpiece of Iran's
regime," Netanyahu said: "Mr Zarif, do you recognise this? You should, it's
yours."
Again referring to Zarif, who is scheduled to speak later in Munich, the
Israeli leader said: "No doubt Mr Zarif will brazenly deny Iran's
involvement in Syria."
"He lies with eloquence."
'Noose of terror'
The Israeli military has claimed the drone was a copy of a U.S. model
captured by Iran in 2011, based on an analysis of the drone's debris.
Tensions between the two countries have been building in recent months, with
Israel fearing that Tehran is trying to establish a permanent presence in
Syria as part of an effort to become a greater regional power in the Middle
East. At the same time, Syria appears to feel it now has the upper hand in
the civil war and is more emboldened to stop Israeli air raids inside the
country, analysts say. But Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would not let
Iran obtain a permanent foothold in its northern neighbor. "Through its
proxies -- Shiite militias in Iraq, the Huthis in Yemen, Hizbullah in
Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza -- Iran is devouring huge swathes of the Middle
East," he said. "Israel will not allow Iran's regime to put a noose of
terror around our neck," he added. "We will act without hesitation to defend
ourselves. And we will act if necessary not just against Iran's proxies that
are attacking us, but against Iran itself." But he stressed that Israel was
not the enemy of the Iranian people, and offered his condolences to the
families of the 66 people killed in an Iranian plane crash Sunday. "We have
no quarrel with the people of Iran, only with the regime that torments
them," Netanyahu said. 'Do Not Test Israel's Resolve', Netanyahu Warns Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran on Sunday over
"aggressions" by Iran and its "proxies" in Syria, saying he would not allow
them to "put a noose around our neck."Calling it "a message to the tyrants
of Tehran," he warned in a speech at the Munich Security Conference: "Do not
test Israel's resolve."His fiery comments came as tensions between the arch
enemies have mounted after clashes involving Syrian forces this month,
sparked by Israel's downing of what it called an Iranian drone sent from
Syria. With a theatrical flourish, Netanyahu brandished a rectangular piece
of dark green metal at the podium. "Here's a piece of that Iranian drone, or
what's left of it, after we shot it down," he said. Referring to Iran's
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who spoke later in Munich, he said:
"No doubt Mr Zarif will brazenly deny Iran's involvement in Syria.""Mr Zarif,
do you recognise this? You should, it's yours," Netanyahu said, adding that
the Iranian official "lies with eloquence."Zarif responded by calling
Netanyahu's speech a "cartoonish circus" which "does not even deserve the
dignity of a response."
'Dangerous tiger'
The clash came as Netanyahu again slammed the 2015 nuclear deal signed by
Iran and world powers, which is under threat by opposition from the
administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Netanyahu compared the deal
to the "appeasement" of the 1938 Munich Agreement that only emboldened
Hitler, and said it allowed Iran to hide its continued efforts to build an
atomic bomb. "The sanctions relief that the deal provided has not moderated
Iran... In fact it has unleashed a dangerous Iranian tiger in our region and
beyond."
"Once armed with nuclear weapons, Iran's aggression will be unchecked, and
it will encompass the entire world," Netanyahu claimed. Those accusations
were dismissed by Zarif.
"We will not be the first ones to violate an agreement which all of us
tried, in spite of Netanyahu's attempts, to achieve," he said. Israel has
said it downed the drone on February 10 after it entered the country from
Syria, and responded with a raid on what it said was the Iranian control
systems for the craft in Syria. It marked the first time Israel publicly
acknowledged hitting Iranian targets in Syria since the 2011 start of the
civil war there. During the strikes, one of Israel's F-16 fighter jets was
shot down, believed to be the first loss of an Israeli plane in combat since
1982. Tensions between the two countries had already been building in recent
months, with Israel fearing that Tehran is trying to establish a permanent
presence in Syria as part of an effort to become a greater regional power in
the Middle East. The clashes this month have stoked fears of an escalated
conflict between the two countries, even though both sides appear to want to
avoid an open war for now, analysts say. Russian senator Alexei Pushkov,
addressing the Munich conference shortly after Netanyahu spoke, said: "OK,
you bomb Iran, and then you do what, what happens next?" while saying the
Iranian issue requires acting with "responsibility."
'Defend ourselves' -
It was not the first time Netanyahu, who is under pressure at home over a
corruption inquiry, has made a dramatic show. In 2012, speaking at the U.N.,
he notably showed a simplistic drawing of a bomb with a lit fuse, supposedly
indicating how close Tehran was to becoming a nuclear threat. The Israeli
military has claimed the drone was a copy of a U.S. model captured by Iran
in 2011, based on an analysis of the drone's debris. Netanyahu reiterated
Sunday that Israel would not let Iran obtain a permanent foothold in its
northern neighbor. "Through its proxies -- Shiite militias in Iraq, the
Huthis in Yemen, Hizbullah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza -- Iran is devouring
huge swathes of the Middle East," he said. "Israel will not allow Iran's
regime to put a noose of terror around our neck," he added. "We will act
without hesitation to defend ourselves. And we will act if necessary not
just against Iran's proxies that are attacking us, but against Iran itself."
But he stressed that Israel was not the enemy of the Iranian people, and
offered his condolences to the families of the people killed in an Iranian
plane crash Sunday. "We have no quarrel with the people of Iran, only with
the regime that torments them," Netanyahu said.
Saudi Arabia Vows to Continue Pressuring Iran to Change
Behavior
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir
reiterated on Sunday accusations that Iran was destabilizing the Middle
East, vowing to continue to pressure Tehran to change its behavior."In order
to ensure than Iran comports itself with international law, we must have
firmer positions with regards to ballistic missiles and with regards to
Iran’s support for terrorism," al-Jubeir said told Reuters in an interview
during the annual Munich Security Conference.
"Iran must
Jubeir welcomed a draft United Nations
resolution offered by Britain, the United States and France that would
condemn Iran for failing to stop its ballistic missiles from falling into
the hands of Yemen’s Houthi militias. He told Reuters the measure, if
passed, would help hold Iran accountable for what he described as its
"exports of ballistic missiles" to the Iran-backed Houthis, and "radical and
aggressive" behavior in the region, including support for terrorist
groups.He said Iranian missiles were regularly used by Houthis "to target
civilians in Yemen as well as inside Saudi Arabia." He blamed the Iranian
revolution for spawning “terrorist groups like ‘Hezbollah’” in Lebanon. He
also charged Tehran with providing safe haven to slain al-Qaeda chief Osama
bin Laden. “In contrast to Iran’s policy, Saudi Arabia has never carried out
an attack” against another country, remarked Jubeir. Jubeir also called for
changes to two aspects of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran - cancellation
of a so-called sunset provision, and expanded inspections to include
non-declared and military sites. The draft UN resolution, which needs to be
adopted by February 26, is likely to face resistance from Russia. A
resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the
United States, France or Britain to pass. Jubeir said he hoped Russia could
be persuaded to support the measure. The draft text to renew UN sanctions on
Yemen for another year would also allow the 15-member council to impose
targeted sanctions for “any activity related to the use of ballistic
missiles in Yemen.” Britain drafted the resolution in consultation with the
United States and France before giving it to the full council on Friday,
diplomats said. On the developments in Yemen, Adel announced that the
national army was making military advances on the ground, which coincides
with the launch of a comprehensive humanitarian operation there. On the
appointment of Martin Griffiths as the United Nations envoy to Yemen, he
said: “We look forward to cooperating with him.”Griffiths, currently
executive director of the European Institute of Peace, replaces Ould Cheikh
Ahmed, who the UN said would step down after three years in the job when his
current contract finishes this month.
Iranian Promises to Lift House Arrest for Green
Movement Leaders Mousavi, Karroubi
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Iranian Parliament Second Deputy Ali Motahari
revealed on Saturday that judiciary and security officials have promised to
end the house arrest against opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir-Hossein
Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard by the end of the current calendar year, which
ends on March 20. Speaking to reporters, Motahari said certain measures have
been taken in recent months in this regard. “We are waiting to see if they
deliver what they promised,” Motahari said, according to ISNA. Karroubi,
Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, were placed under house arrest after
they insisted on their claims of vote-rigging and called for protests.
However, Motahari waved back to political pressure and repeated protests if
promises to lift house arrest did not produce concrete results before the
end of the current year. It is not yet known the position of influential
conservatives on the case. Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Ali Jafari
and the chairman of the Guardian Council said last month that the Green
Movement's protests in 2009 were aimed at ‘toppling’ the regime. Protests
began the night of 12 June 2009, following the announcement that former
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won nearly 63% of the vote, despite several
reported irregularities. However, all three opposition candidates claimed
the votes were manipulated and the election was rigged, with Rezaee and
Mousavi lodging official complaints. At the end of last month, Mousavi’s two
daughters announced that authorities had allowed them to meet with their
parents at any time of the day and without setting a date earlier, eight
months after the last time the authorities allowed them to enter the place
of the house arrest. Authorities imposed house arrest under a decision
issued by the Iranian National Security Council in February 2011. The house
arrest against Mousavi and Karroubi entered its seventh year. Mousavi was
prime minister between 1980 and 1988 with the support of the former Iranian
Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, and the attempts of current Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei to isolate Mousavi, who was close to Revolutionary Guards chief
Mohsen Rezaee, were unsuccessful at the time. Before the imposition of house
arrest, Green Movement supporters took to the street in solidarity with the
Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. A team of analysts suggests
that the Green Movement protests began under Mousavi and Karroubi but later
turned into anti-regime protests. Lifting house arrest was among the most
important campaign promises in the 2013 presidential elections.Incumbent
President Hassan Rouhani justified the delay in carrying out his internal
promises by focusing his government on the nuclear agreement and lifting the
sanctions. In the 2016 election, Rouhani returned to the promise of lifting
house arrest, but his delay in moving forward caused discontent among his
reformist allies, who criticized him during his swearing-in for not
explicitly speaking about house arrest against reformist leaders, as he did
in the elections.
UN Security Council May Condemn Iran for Supplying
Houthis with Missiles
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/The United Nations Security Council is
considering condemning Iran for supplying Yemen’s Houthi militias with
missiles, said a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Saturday. Drafted by
Britain, the United States and France, the document also calls for
committing to take action over the sanctions violations. The draft text to
renew UN sanctions on Yemen for another year would also allow the 15-member
council to impose targeted sanctions for “any activity related to the use of
ballistic missiles in Yemen.” Britain drafted the resolution in consultation
with the US and France before giving it to the full council on Friday,
diplomats said. US President Donald Trump’s administration has been lobbying
for months for Iran to be held accountable at the UN, while at the same time
threatening to quit a 2015 deal among world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear
program if “disastrous flaws” are not fixed.
“Since the signing of the nuclear agreement, the Iranian regime’s support of
dangerous militias and terror groups has markedly increased. Its missiles
and advanced weapons are turning up in war zones all across the Middle
East,” the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, wrote in an
essay published in the New York Times on Saturday. The draft UN resolution,
which needs to be adopted by February 26, is likely to face resistance from
Russia. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia,
China, the US, France or Britain to pass. Independent UN experts monitoring
the sanctions on Yemen reported to the Security Council in January that it
had “identified missile remnants, related military equipment and military
unmanned aerial vehicles that are of Iranian origin and were brought into
Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo.” While the experts
said they have “no evidence as to the identity of the supplier, or any
intermediary third party” of the missiles fired by the Houthis into
neighboring Saudi Arabia, they found Iran had violated sanctions by failing
to prevent the supply, sale or transfer of the missiles and unmanned aerial
vehicles to the Houthis. The UN Security Council has banned the supply of
weapons to Houthi leaders and “those acting on their behalf or at their
direction.” It can also blacklist individuals and entities for threatening
the peace and stability of Yemen or hindering aid access. Earlier this week,
Haley said it was "time for the Security Council to act" following the
release of the UN report on Iran’s violation of the arms embargo on Yemen.
"This report highlights what we've been saying for months: Iran has been
illegally transferring weapons in violation of multiple Security Council
resolutions," Haley said in a statement on Thursday. The ambassador added
that "the world cannot continue to allow these blatant violations to go
unanswered" and that Tehran must face "consequences.""It's time for the
Security Council to act."
66 Killed in Iran Plane Crash
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/All passengers on board an Iranian domestic
flight were killed on Sunday when their aircraft crashed into the Zagros
Mountains, officials said. The plane was carrying 60 passengers, including
one child, as well as six crew, said Mohammad Tabatabai, director of public
relations for the Aseman Airlines. "After searches in the area,
unfortunately we were informed that the plane crashed. Unfortunately, all
our dear ones lost their lives in this incident," he added. The Aseman
Airlines flight left Tehran's Mehrabad airport around 0800 (0430 GMT) for
the city of Yasuj in Isfahan province. Due to foggy condition, rescue
helicopters could not reach the crash site in the Zagros Mountains, state TV
reported. Tabatabai said the plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about
440-meters (1,440-feet) tall. A helicopter sent by Iran's national emergency
services was unable to land at the site of the accident due to severe
weather, its spokesman said. The Relief and Rescue Organization of Iran's
Red Crescent said it had dispatched 12 teams to the region. "Given the fact
that the area is mountainous, it is not possible to send ambulances,"
Mojtaba Khaledi, spokesman for the national emergency services, told ISNA
news agency. President Hassan Rouhani has since ordered that an
investigation be opened in the crash. Decades of international sanctions
have left Iran with an aging fleet of passenger planes which it has
struggled to maintain and modernize. It has suffered multiple aviation
disasters, most recently in 2014 when a Sepahan plane crashed killing 39
people. Tabatabai said the plane that crashed on Sunday was a twin-engine
turboprop ATR-72. Aseman currently has a fleet of 36 planes -- half of them
105-seat Dutch Fokker 100s. Its three Boeing 727-200s are almost as old as
the Islamic revolution, having made their first flights in 1980.
Lifting sanctions on aviation purchases was a key clause in the nuclear deal
Iran signed with world powers in 2015. Following the deal, Aseman Airlines
finalized an agreement to buy 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets for $3 billion (2.4
billion euros) last June, with an option to buy 30 more. However, the sale
could be scuppered if US President Donald Trump chooses to reimpose
sanctions in the coming months, as he has threatened to do. The US has
maintained its own sanctions on Iran, which block almost all trade with the
country, but plane manufacturers were given a specific exemption under the
nuclear deal.
Boeing, which is also building 80 planes for national carrier Iran Air,
faces heavy criticism from US lawmakers who say Iranian airlines have been
used to ship weapons and troops to Syria and other conflict zones. The US
Treasury Department approved the sale of the 80 Boeing jets as well as 100
Airbus planes to Iran Air. The first few Airbus jets have already arrived in
Tehran.
Abbas to Ask for a Palestinian State During Security
Council Meeting on Feb 20
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 18/18/Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will
request, in a speech to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the
establishment of a Palestinian State and will reiterate the need to
implement the UN Security Council resolution that calls for a two-state
solution, sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat. The sources
added that the Palestinian president would announce his final rejection of
Washington’s monopoly of the peace process and would renew his call for an
international conference under the umbrella of the United Nations to form a
multilateral mechanism that would foster a new political process, similar to
the 5+1 group, which negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran. Meanwhile, Nabil
Abu Rudeina, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, said that the
Palestinians have begun a new phase of the struggle that would define the
region’s features in the near future. “A new phase of the struggle has begun
to preserve the overall goal of our Palestinian people, the Arab nation and
the whole world, as well as the issue of Jerusalem in its Islamic and
Christian sanctities, its heritage and history, which some are trying to
falsify to justify their violation of all international laws,” Abu Rudeina
stated.
The Palestinian presidency’s spokesman did not elaborate on Abbas’ speech
before the Security Council, stressing that it would focus on Jerusalem and
the national constants, and would serve as a “message to the whole world
that justice, peace and land are the only way to a secure, stable, and
prosperous Middle East, free from all forms of terrorism.”The sources, for
their part, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas would emphasize Palestinian’s
rejection of President (Donald) Trump’s decision on Jerusalem and any other
decision that would undermine the status of the city.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on February 18-19/18
Could Natural Gas In The Mediterranean Spark The Third
Lebanese War
هل سيشعل الغاز في البحر الأبيض المتوسط الحرب الثالثة بين
إسرائيل ولبنان
Oded Eran/Jerusalem Post/February 18/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/62675
"Lebanon will not hesitate to avail itself of its inherent right to self-defence
if an armed attack occurs against the economic activities carried out in its
maritime areas."
Speaking about border issues between Israel and Lebanon at the Institute for
National Security Studies (INSS) annual conference (January 31, 2018), Defense
Minister Avigdor Liberman said that the Lebanese government had issued a tender
for natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean, and that by all criteria Block
9, which was awarded to a number of well-known international companies, belonged
to Israel.
Liberman called Lebanon's move a provocation and a serious mistake. His words
sparked a fiery response from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the media
in both Israel and Lebanon reported that the organization was threatening to
attack Israel's drilling rigs in the Mediterranean.
Conflicts over maritime borders are not unique to Lebanon and Israel, and as in
this case, many of them derive from competition over economic resources –
whether fishing zones or oil and natural gas fields.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea grants a state exclusive
economic rights over an area stretching 200 nautical miles from its coast
(Exclusive Economic Zone). Israel began drilling in its economic waters more
than twenty years ago, and since 2003 natural gas has flowed from the sea into
Israel.
The big breakthrough in this area, and with it the eruption of the conflict,
came in December 2010, when a consortium of companies announced the discovery of
the gas in the Leviathan field. That same month Israel and Cyprus signed an
agreement on delineation of the maritime border between them (since the distance
between the two countries is less than 400 nautical miles), although in the
summer of 2010 Lebanon had already rushed to register documents with the UN
delimiting its maritime border with Israel.
In June 2011 Lebanon again turned to the UN, expressing its opposition to the
agreement between Israel and Cyprus "that violates [according to Lebanon] the
sovereign and economic rights of Lebanon and could imperil international peace
and security, particularly if one of these States [presumably referring to
Israel and Cyprus] should decide unilaterally to exercise sovereign authority
over the region that Lebanon considers an inalienable part of its exclusive
economic zone." Israel replied on July 12, 2011, attaching the coordinates to
delineate its maritime border with Lebanon. The gaps between the Lebanese and
Israeli claims create a disputed area of 850 sq. km.
In late 2011, Israel, out of a willingness to compromise, began to look for
diplomatic ways to resolve the developing dispute. In inter-ministerial
consultations, the decision was taken not to grant new licenses for the area
under dispute in order to facilitate a compromise solution.
INSS map of gas pipelines and fields in the Middle East (INSS)INSS map of gas
pipelines and fields in the Middle East (INSS)
It was decided not to use UNIFIL as a channel for discussion between Israel and
Lebanon, since the mandate of the Force does not refer to the maritime border,
and Israel prefers to avoid UN mediation. The Israel interest in mediation led
to several contacts by third parties, and ultimately American mediation was the
preferred option.
In February 2012, State Department Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Frederic
Hof, who was heavily involved in developments in Syria in the framework of the
Arab Spring, undertook the task of mediation. Israel reiterated to him its
willingness to resolve the dispute by reaching a compromise in direct talks with
representatives of the Lebanese government.
In April 2012, at separate meetings in London (in view of the Lebanese refusal
to participate in a joint meeting), Hof submitted a proposed compromise
involving division of the disputed area. On May 2, 2013, then-Minister of
Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman approved the American proposal, even though it
granted Lebanon a larger share of the area.
To this day no official response from Lebanon has been received, although
according to reports of US diplomats in contact with the Lebanese government,
they discussed inter alia depositing the proposal with the UN. From this it
appears that the proposal was acceptable to the Lebanese government.
A year after the submission of the original American proposal, the new American
mediator proposed additional ideas. While not clear whether they were his or the
Lebanese government’s, they completely distorted the original proposal.
The guiding line for these ideas was the creation of a buffer zone between
Israel and Lebanon outside the area claimed by Lebanon. Apart from the fact that
this idea was completely unacceptable, it could also cause serious economic
damage to both countries by preventing exploration and agreed exploitation of
gas in the disputed area (pooling of exploration and development efforts in
cross border areas is called “unitization”).
In spite of the failure of US mediation, Israel continued to refrain from
issuing tenders for the disputed area. However, in March 2013 the Lebanese
Ministry of Energy published a map of the maritime economic zone divided into
"blocks," jargon for areas that are the subject of tenders.
The map showed that the Lebanese government completely ignored the Israeli
position and the proposed American compromise, and that in three blocks, 8, 9,
and 10, and particularly in block 9, there was clear penetration of the area
claimed by Israel. After years of delays in approval of the tender process in
Lebanon, largely due to the presidential and government crisis in the country,
activity was now renewed.
On February 2, 2017, Israel complained to the UN about Lebanon's intention to
grant licenses and declared its intention to defend its rights. It also
expressed "openness to dialogue and cooperation with neighboring and relevant
states regarding the delimitation of the northern limit of its territorial sea
and exclusive economic zone."
Following reports by the Lebanese Oil Authority, on December 21, 2017, Israel
again complained to the UN Secretary General about the granting of licenses in
Block 9 to a consortium comprising the French company Total, the Italian ENI,
and the Russian Novatek, without Israel's consent, entirely contrary to Israel’s
position and its call for dialogue and cooperation. Israel also announced that
it would not permit any non-consensual, unauthorized economic activity, and
expressed its regret that the Lebanese government was ignoring its call for
dialogue.
Israel reminded all involved third parties, i.e., apart from Lebanon itself,
that any activity "that would violate Israel's sovereign rights or otherwise
involve them in non-consensual or unauthorized economic activity in this
maritime area…would expose them to significant liability." On February 9, 2018,
Total announced that it and its partners are aware of the conflict and therefore
would not operate within 25 km of the disputed area.
On January 26, 2018, Lebanon replied with its own letter, which completely
rejected all Israel's claims and announced: "The Republic of Lebanon will not
hesitate to avail itself of its inherent right to self-defence if an armed
attack occurs against the economic activities carried out in its maritime areas.
It will not hesitate neither to take all appropriate measures against Israel or
its private concessionaires, including Energean Oil & Gas, should they decide to
take advantage of their activities in the so-called Israeli blocks 13 and Alon
D, where the Karish field is located, to exploit the natural resources of the
Lebanese seabed by way of directional drilling."
Energean, which is registered in Greece, won the Karish and Tanin drilling
rights in late 2016, following a ruling by the Supreme Court regarding dilution
of the holdings of Delek and Noble Energy.
In addition to the verbal escalation, the Lebanese turned to various
institutions in France, including legal ones, hoping to conduct a public
campaign to prove their case in the conflict with Israel.
Lebanon had already contacted a former French president with a proposal for
French mediation between Lebanon and Israel, but nothing was done. Acting
Assistant of the US Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs David Satterfield
recently visited Israel and Lebanon, in preparation for the visit by Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson, and it was reported that he raised the subject of gas.
The US effort was necessary due to the increasing harshness of the threats,
particularly from the Lebanese side, and the danger of descending into armed
conflict, where both winner and loser would pay a heavy price.
The charged situation highlights a number of issues. The first is the sense of
power felt by Hezbollah, which played an important role in preserving the Assad
regime and its recovery after it lost considerable territory to the various
opposition forces.
Although Hezbollah's intervention exacted a heavy price in human life, its
position in Lebanon has not weakened, and the general elections in Lebanon in
May 2018 will likely strengthen its political status.
Iran's growing influence in the region following the nuclear deal (JCPOA) is
also perceived as an achievement for Hezbollah, while Iran's gradually
increasing foothold in Syria, which has made it a significant player in shaping
that country's future, naturally impacts on its junior partner and proxy,
Hezbollah.
The strongly worded Lebanese letter of last month is reminiscent of the tone of
threats adopted for many years by the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the
subject of natural gas in the Mediterranean, but which had so far not
accompanied the dialogue – albeit indirect – between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel's decision to reinforce the border fence with Lebanon and in certain
sections to build a wall (without changing the course of the Blue Line) was met
with threatening language from the Lebanese government.
On the other hand, senior Israeli security personnel who have spoken recently
about Syria and Lebanon, including at the INSS annual conference, have clarified
that if there is another military campaign, Israel will exact a heavy price for
all attempts to attack its civilian population, and it will not permit fighting
to continue for several weeks, as happened in summer 2006.
The verbal exchanges, the violent rhetoric of the Lebanese government, and
Lebanon’s disregard for Israeli attempts to resolve the matter of the maritime
border justify external involvement to prevent further deterioration.
The security events between Israel and Syria of February 10, 2018 do not relate
to the issue directly, but they will complicate efforts toward a compromise.
While Israel would welcome American efforts to calm the situation, it is harder
to predict the Lebanese reaction. Competition between rival political forces in
Lebanon has always taken precedence over the national interest and caused much
damage, including economic.
Had the Lebanese government accepted the US compromise proposed in 2012, the
Lebanese economy would have received a significant boost, and in turn would have
benefited other regional economies. The American administration can minimize the
risk of armed conflict by bringing Lebanon back to the idea of talking to Israel
– even indirectly – about a fair compromise that would suit Lebanon.
**This article first appeared in INSS Insight No. 1022, February 14, 2018.
Thank God for the Olympics
Geert Wilders/Gatestone Institute/February 18/2018
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11906/olympics-patriotism
Patriotism is one of the biggest strengths of a nation. Waving the national
flag is so much more than bringing a tribute to successful athletes. It also
links us to a heritage and a tradition. Our national flag symbolizes ancient
loyalties embodying the legacy of our fathers, which we want to bestow on
our children.
A few weeks ago, I lodged an official complaint against the Prime Minister
for discrimination on behalf of thousands of my Dutch compatriots. This
week, the Public Prosecutor announced that he will not prosecute Mr Rutte
because the government policy is one of "positive discrimination," which the
Public Prosecutor considers permissible. I will now take the case directly
to the court. A government that is positively discriminating in favor of
foreigners is negatively discriminating against its own people.
Just as the millions of Dutch, who are currently watching the Olympics on
their television sets, are cheering their own athletes, governments should
be the cheerleaders of their own people. We need to bring the spirit of the
Olympics to politics, the spirit of patriotism. The nation-state has the
duty to positively discriminate in favor of its own people. It has to cheer
them on, encourage them, be proud of them, as we now are of our athletes.
And always will be.
My country, the Netherlands, is doing extremely well in the 2018 Winter
Olympics. It is great to see how the Dutch successes are reinforcing
feelings of national pride and patriotism. Thank God for the Olympics!
Cheering one's own athletes over foreigners has nothing to do with
discrimination, racism or jingoism. Sporting events are one of the few
occasions where people can still unabashedly display feelings of national
pride without being judged for it by the leftist cosmopolitan elites.
Jorien Ter Mors of the Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal during
the Ladies' 1000m Speed Skating at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics,
February 14, 2018. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
National pride is fantastic. In his farewell address as president, Ronald
Reagan said that one of the achievements he was most proud of was "the
resurgence of national pride." Reagan called it "the new patriotism."
Patriotism is one of the biggest strengths of a nation. Waving the national
flag is so much more than bringing a tribute to successful athletes. It also
links us to a heritage and a tradition. Our national flag symbolizes ancient
loyalties embodying the legacy of our fathers, which we want to bestow on
our children.
The nation-state is one the greatest contributions of Western civilization
to the world. It is the home of our democracy as well as the guarantor of
our freedom. Adherence to the nation-state is also a moral duty. Our
Judeo-Christian civilization is based on the values of Jerusalem, Athens and
Rome. Jerusalem, where the love for the state of Israel was taught. Athens,
where service to the democratic state was the highest good. And Rome, where
honor depended on duty to the Republic.
Islam is totally alien to this central idea of our Western civilization. It
does not want us to love our country. It wants to eradicate all nations and
replace them by the Ummah, the worldwide Islamic community. Islam is not
nation-centered but globalist by nature. That is why our cosmopolitan elites
with their globalist dreams of supranational institutions like it so much.
Since the 1960s, a loathing of morality and patriotism has become the style
for those who consider themselves our elites. Discriminating against their
own people has become their fashion. They feel appalled by great Western
thinkers, such as the 13th century Italian, Thomas Aquinas, who wrote that
"no-one can properly worship God without honoring his country, for the
greater virtue – honor to God – includes the lesser – honor to parents and
country."
The Olympics, however, reflect the Western ideals. It is no coincidence that
they originated in ancient Greece with its many states.
Next week, the Dutch athletes from Pyeongchang will return home. Dozens of
supporters will flock to Schiphol airport to prepare a warm welcome. They
will wave the national tricolor and the entire nation will share their joy
and glory. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is likely to honor them and
receive them. And so he should!
And yet, it is the same Mark Rutte, who, like his colleagues of the
political elite in the European Union, is conducting policies which actively
discriminate against his own people in favor of foreigners. In sports, he is
cheering the Dutch over the foreigners, but in politics he is doing exactly
the opposite.
There are dozens of examples of this. While asylum seekers in the
Netherlands get health care entirely free, the Dutch have to pay a huge
deductible out-of-pocket and have to insure themselves for extras, such as
hearing aids, glasses, physiotherapy, dental care, postnatal care, etc,
which asylum seekers get for free. The asylum seekers also get free housing
and are allowed to jump the queue, while Dutch citizens on average have to
wait eight years for social housing. Two thirds of all welfare expenditure
is spent on non-Western immigrants, while Dutch citizens have to foot the
bill. Non-Westerners often also get preferential treatment when applying for
jobs in the civil service, because the authorities want to encourage
"diversity," and so on.
For years, my party has been opposing this discrimination against our own
people in our parliament. Because the government parties refuse to change
their policies, a few weeks ago, I lodged an official complaint against the
Prime Minister for discrimination on behalf of thousands of my Dutch
compatriots. This week, the Public Prosecutor announced that he will not
prosecute Mr Rutte because the government policy is one of "positive
discrimination," which the Public Prosecutor considers permissible. I will
now take the case directly to the court. A government that is positively
discriminating in favor of foreigners is negatively discriminating against
its own people.
Just as the millions of Dutch, who are currently watching the Olympics on
their television sets, are cheering their own athletes, governments should
be the cheerleaders of their own people. We need to bring the spirit of the
Olympics to politics, the spirit of patriotism. The nation-state has the
duty to positively discriminate in favor of its own people. It has to cheer
them on, encourage them, be proud of them, as we now are of our athletes.
And always will be.
**Geert Wilders MP is leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in The
Netherlands.
© 2018 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.