English LCCC Newsbulletin For Le (2024)

English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 29/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Peter, you will deny me Three times before the co*ck crows today
Luke 22/28-34:” You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the co*ck will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’

This Is Beirut/April 28, 2024
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai called on politicians to “reexamine their conscience” to ensure the common good and restore constitutional institutions, starting with the election of a President of the Republic. During his Sunday sermon, Rai accused political forces of lacking faith in God and causing suffering for the Lebanese people due to a war Lebanon has no implications in, and which is hindering its peace and stability.

This Is Beirut/April 28, 2024
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi, lashed out at Lebanese officials for “ignoring their constitutional obligations, the first of which is the election of a president, pushing the Lebanese people to despair, delinquency and emigration.” During his sermon on Palm Sunday Mass for the Greek Orthodox confession, Audi lamented that Lebanon was being “left to its fate” and abandoned by countries “lining up with the strongest.” He also emphasized that concepts like truth, justice, humanity and morality have become obsolete concepts in a materialistic and opportunistic world. Audi expressed his wish for Lebanon’s protection “from north to south,” and its salvation from “long-suffering, ignorance, hatred and bloodshed.”

Séjourné Kicks Off Political Meetings With Parliament Speaker
AFP/This Is Beirut/April 28, 2024
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné kicked off his political meetings on Sunday by talking to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, hours after visiting UNIFIL’s headquarters where he called for ending the alarming escalation of violence in south Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel.
Accompanied by French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro and Director of North Africa and the Middle East at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne Grillo, Séjourné refrained from making any declaration following his meeting with Berri. For his part, Berri conveyed Lebanon’s readiness “to receive and consider the French proposal aimed at de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, and implementation of UN resolution 1701.”The Parliament speaker presented evidence of Israeli aggressions on Lebanon, particularly in border villages, using a map prepared by the National Council for Scientific Research (NCSR). The document highlighted the human and material losses, including damage to agricultural and forested lands, as well as Israel’s use of internationally prohibited weapons and violations of the rules of engagement. Berri expressed gratitude to France and President Emmanuel Macron for their commitment to preventing war in Lebanon, emphasizing Lebanon’s commitment to implementing Resolution 1701 comprehensively. Regarding the presidential file, Berri commended the efforts of the Quintet committee “striving for consensus in electing a president.”
He also raised the issue of Syrian refugees, underscoring its “burdensome impact on Lebanon and its people.” He pledged to address this matter with the head of the European Commission and the Cypriot president during their upcoming visit to Lebanon, urging France and Germany “to reconsider their approach to Syria on this particular issue.”Fighting has intensified in south Lebanon in recent weeks, with Israel striking deeper into Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah has stepped up its missile and drone attacks on military positions in northern Israel.
France has for months sought to de-escalate the cross-border tensions, presenting to both Lebanon and Israel an initiative in January seeking to end hostilities.
During his visit to the headquarters of the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), Séjourné reiterated that Paris has been making proposals to “avoid war in Lebanon.”“I will head to Beirut to meet political authorities to… make proposals,” Séjourné said, adding: “Our responsibility is to mitigate escalation, and that is also our role in UNIFIL. We have 700 soldiers here.”A French diplomatic source told AFP that the volume of cross-border attacks had doubled since April 13. In March, Beirut submitted its response to the French initiative, which was based on a UN resolution barring the presence of any forces other than the Lebanese military and UNIFIL in south Lebanon. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had suggested that Paris was reviewing its proposal and would submit a new one to Beirut. Sejourne’s trip — which will also see him stop in Riyadh for a summit on Gaza — coincides with a visit to Jerusalem by US envoy Amos Hochstein as Washington also pushes for de-escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah has repeatedly declared that only a ceasefire in Gaza will put an end to its attacks on Israel. Since October 8 at least 385 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 254 Hezbollah fighters and dozens of civilians, according to an AFP tally. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border.

Samar Kadi/This Beirut/April 28/2024
In a persisting effort to prevent an open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, visiting French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné asserted on Sunday that Paris is continuing its “total mobilization” to help Lebanon emerge from its political, social and economic crisis. “It has gone on for far too long,” Séjourné told a press conference at the end of his visit during which he held talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, and Army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun.
Stressing that the Iranian attack on Israel on the night of April 13 to 14, in retaliation to the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, was a highly “worrying” turning point, he said, “We refuse to accept the worst-case scenario in southern Lebanon where the civilian population is paying the price.”
“No one has any interest that Israel and Hezbollah continue this escalation. I’ve taken this message to the Lebanese leaders and I’ll be taking the same message to Israel on Tuesday,” Séjourné added, calling on “all Lebanese players to do their part and assume their responsibilities,” to preserve the country.
The top French diplomat stressed that Lebanon’s observations on the roadmap proposed by Paris to achieve full implementation of resolution 1701 by all parties “are fully taken into account,” and that France’s efforts to reach an accord “will not falter as consultations continue.” However, when asked by This is Beirut, he refrained from disclosing any modification made to the proposals and whether they would be more acceptable for Hezbollah. “We are currently discussing proposals with all our partners. We’ll then see what feedback we get in that regard,” he said.
Hezbollah has repeatedly declared that only a ceasefire in Gaza will put an end to its attacks on Israel. Since October 8, an estimated 385 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 254 Hezbollah fighters and dozens of civilians, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced. Underlining what he called “UNIFIL’s decisive role” in averting a worst-case scenario in South Lebanon, Séjourné emphasized that “all parties must allow the peacekeeping force to carry out its mission to the full.”He reiterated France’s continuous support to the Lebanese army, stressing that “a return to stability requires the redeployment of the armed forces in southern Lebanon.” On the protracted vacancy of the presidential seat, the top French diplomat was adamant that “without an elected president and a fully functioning government, Lebanon will not be invited to the negotiating table” on a regional settlement. When asked about how France can help Lebanon alleviate the burden of hosting scores of displaced Syrians, Séjourné said, “We are aware that the presence of Syrian refugees has weighed heavily on Lebanon since the conflict in Syria, but this return must be voluntary, dignified, safe and in compliance with international law, and at this stage these conditions have yet to be met.”According to a Western diplomatic source, France’s unwavering diplomatic efforts is meant “to show to the belligerents that the diplomatic way and option is possible.” “It remains in the calculations of each side, when weighing up war or diplomacy. This dynamic alone will eventually delay the warlike intentions of all parties in their calculations,” the source told This is Beirut. Séjourné will be in Israel on Tuesday, as part of his regional tour that includes Saudi Arabia where he will be participating in the global economic summit on Monday.

French foreign minister aims to prevent Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalation in Lebanon visit
Reuters/April 28, 2024
France's foreign minister will push proposals to prevent further escalation and a potential war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday as Paris seeks to refine a roadmap that both sides could accept to ease tensions. France has historical ties with Lebanon and earlier this year Stephane Sejourne delivered an initiative that proposed Hezbollah's elite unit pull back 10 km (6 miles) from the Israeli border, while Israel would halt strikes in southern Lebanon. The two have exchanged tit-for-tat strikes in recent months, but the exchanges have increased since Iran launched a barrage of missiles on Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps' overseas Quds Force. France's proposal, which has been discussed with partners, notably the United States, has not moved forward, but Paris wants to keep momentum in talks and underscore to Lebanese officials that Israeli threats of a military operation in southern Lebanon should be taken seriously. Hezbollah has maintained it will not enter any concrete discussion until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas has entered its sixth month.
Israel has also said it wants to ensure calm is restored on its northern border so that thousands of displaced Israelis can return to the area without fear of rocket attacks from across the border. "The objective is to prevent a regional conflagration and avoid that the situation deteriorates even more on the border between Israel and Lebanon," foreign ministry deputy spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said at a news conference. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Nikati and Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun met French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month, where they discussed the French proposal.
In a letter addressed to the French embassy in Beirut in March, Lebanon's foreign ministry said Beirut believed the French initiative would be a significant step towards peace and security in Lebanon and the broader region.
Local Lebanese media had reported the government had provided feedback to the French on the proposal. French officials say the responses so far have been general and lack consensus among the Lebanese. While they deem it too early for any form of the accord, they believe it is vital to engage now so that when the moment comes both sides are ready. Paris will also underline the urgency of breaking the political deadlock in the country. Lebanon has neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Michel Aoun's term as president ended in October 2022. Israel has remained cautious on the French initiative, although Israeli and French officials say Israel supports efforts to defuse the cross-border tensions. "The flames will flicker and tensions will continue," said a Lebanese diplomat. "We are in a situation of strategic ambiguity on both sides."
France has 700 troops based in southern Lebanon as part of the 10,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force. Officials say the UN troops are unable to carry out their mandate and part of France's proposals are aimed at beefing up the mission by strengthening the Lebanese army. After Lebanon, Sejourne will head to Saudi Arabia before traveling to Israel. Arab and Western foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will hold informal talks on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum event in Riyadh to discuss the Gaza war with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Reuters/April 28, 2024
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne stated that he will present proposals to Lebanese officials on Sunday to ease tensions between Hezbollah and Israel and prevent the outbreak of war. After visiting the UN peacekeeping forces in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, he added, "If you look at the situation today... If there is no war in Gaza, we can talk about a war in southern Lebanon, considering the number of strikes and their impact on the region." He continued, saying, "I will convey messages and propose initiatives to the authorities here to push this region towards stability and avoid the outbreak of war."

LBCI/April 28, 2024
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri affirmed to French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné that Lebanon is committed to implementing Resolution 1701 in all its aspects and is awaiting receipt of the French proposal in preparation for its consideration and response. During the visit, which lasted 45 minutes, Berri presented to Séjourné explanations on the map of the Israeli violations being committed against Lebanon, and the French minister left Ain al-Tineh without making any statement.

UNIFIL Deeply Alarmed by Increasing Violence on Southern Front
This Is Beirut/April 28, 2024
The United Nations Interim Forces in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed deep concern on Sunday at the sharp increase in escalation on both sides of the Blue Line between Israel and Hezbollah. In an interview with the Voice of All Lebanon, Candice Ardell, deputy director of the UNIFIL press office, said that the exchange of fire since October 8 had increased sharply of late, with strikes reaching deeper areas on both sides of the border. The UNIFIL representative added that the peacekeeping forces are continuing to carry out their mission by patrolling and in collaboration with the Lebanese army. “We are in contact with the parties concerned to ease tensions and avoid misunderstandings,” Ardell said. She gave an overview of UNIFIL’s missions, explaining that it has a coordination mechanism supporting civilians and activities in areas close to the Blue Line. Ardell gave as an example the assistance offered by UNIFIL to farmers to approach the line and harvest their crops. “We also provide medical assistance and some of our units have provided support to schools, hospitals and civil organizations,” she added. Ardell also commented on the attack on peacekeepers in Rmeish, pointing out that although the incident was serious, it was members of UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) who were injured, not UNIFIL. On March 30, three military observers and a Lebanese translator were injured by a mine explosion in Rmeish. Ardell said that she could not comment on the incident as the investigation was still underway, but that the explosion did not appear to have been caused by direct fire.

This Beirut/April 28/2024
In a blatant violation of state sovereignty and its institutions, members of the military branch of Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese Islamist group with close ties to Hamas, conducted a military parade in Akkar on Sunday. The parade was part of the funeral procession of two members of the Islamic group who were killed in an Israeli air raid in West Bekaa on Friday. Participants fired shots in the air and even launched an RPG rocket in Al-Abdeh square, Akkar, amidst a large crowd gathered for the occasion. A child was injured by a stray bullet and a resident of Bebnine was also wounded. The areas of Minieh, Halba, and Bebnine witnessed intense gunfire from medium and heavy caliber weapons during the funeral procession.

This Is Beirut/April 28, 2024
Clashes persisted in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on Sunday, as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate violence intensified. The Israeli army conducted a strike on the town of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district near Rmeish. Throughout the night, the Israeli army bombarded the outskirts of Tayr Harfa and Dhayra, as well as Maroun al-Ras, causing significant damage to properties, crops and homes. Around 2 AM, the Israeli army opened fire with heavy machine guns towards Aita Al-Shaab from their position at Birkat Risha. Reconnaissance aircraft flew over villages in the western and central sectors, even reaching the banks of the Litani River, dropping flare bombs over border villages adjacent to the Blue Line. Additionally, the Israeli army reported targeting a “Hezbollah military infrastructure in Serbine.”For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted the settlement of Meron and surrounding settlements with Katyusha rockets on Saturday night. It also targeted the Baghdadi site with artillery shells. The pro-Iranian group stated that the attack on Meron was a response to Israel’s attacks on civilian homes in several southern areas, including Kfar Kila. It also cited the incidents in Kfarchouba, where a civilian was killed, and Serbine, where 11 people were wounded by Israeli aircraft, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Moreover, “The Iron Dome air defense system successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target crossing Lebanon towards the al-Manara region in northern Israel,” according to a statement from the Israeli army. Additionally, the army identified numerous anti-tank missile strikes originating from Lebanon towards the al-Manara region and reported bombing the area where the strikes originated.

Agence France Presse/April 28, 2024
Hezbollah said it fired overnight dozens of Katyusha rockets at Israel's Meron settlement and nearby areas in response to attacks on Lebanese towns and civilian homes, especially in Qawzah, Markaba and Srebbine. On Saturday, Hezbollah said it targeted northern Israel with drones and guided missiles after cross-border Israeli strikes killed three people, including two of its members. A statement from the group said it "launched a complex attack using explosive drones and guided missiles on the headquarters of the al-Manara military command and a gathering of forces from the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade." The Israeli army said its Iron Dome air-defense system "successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into the area of Manara in northern Israel." The army also "struck the sources of fire" of several anti-tank missiles launched from Lebanon into the Manara border area, it added. Lebanon's National News Agency later reported that an Israeli airstrike on a house in Srebbine village had wounded 11 people, one seriously. Earlier Saturday, Israeli fighter jets "struck a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Qawzah in southern Lebanon," the Israeli army said in a statement. The border between Lebanon and Israel has seen near-daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began nearly seven months ago. In two separate statements earlier Saturday, Hezbollah mourned the deaths of two fighters from the villages of Kfar Kila and Khiam. It said they had been "martyred on the road to Jerusalem," the phrase it uses to refer to members killed by Israeli fire.

LBCI/April 28, 2024
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, in a speech during a commemorative event for employees of the Islamic Religious Education Association in Beirut, stated that "Hezbollah stood in Lebanon in support of Gaza, and this support disrupted Israel's military plans in Palestine and Lebanon, both currently and in the future." Qassem pointed out that "those who cannot see the future and do not understand this enemy will not be able to grasp the facts, which suggest that our support will bring benefits that go beyond supporting Gaza and protecting Lebanon to forming a real deterrent force that confronts Israel and makes it aware that it cannot overstep the boundaries."He said, "The initiatives they talk about regarding the issue of Lebanon and southern Lebanon are not viable if they do not begin with a ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution starts there."He continued, "If someone presents an initiative titled a ceasefire in the south to give relief to Israel so it can continue its actions in Gaza, it means they are inviting us to support the Israeli enemy. We stand with Gaza and Palestine, not with Israel, so let the ceasefire start in Gaza first, and then it will cease in Lebanon." He added, "As for the threats that Israel might attack you or fight you, we say to them that their threats with Israel only strengthen our conviction in the righteousness of our resistance and harden our positions. We will see who will benefit from the threats: them or us.""Read what the Israeli media is saying: since the beginning of the fighting in the north, around 4,000 rockets and about 6,000 anti-tank rockets have been launched by Hezbollah'', emphasized the Deputy Secretary-General. He further stated, "They say that Hezbollah possesses 150,000 rockets and shells, so if we do the math, that's 3% of our stockpile, which means we have only used 3% according to the Israeli media during these seven months, causing significant impact on the displacement of settlers, the substantial losses Israel has suffered, the depletion of the Israeli army, and demonstrating great resilience and sacrifice.''
He added, "Do you want more than that? In any case, we are ready."
Qassem explained: "Let Gallant, the enemy's Defense Minister, know who threatened and said that the main goal is to return the residents of the north to their homes and that the coming period will be decisive. I tell him that war cannot return the residents of the north; rather, this war will drive them further away and may permanently prevent their return.''He remarked: "Continuing the aggression does not bring back the settlers of the north, and expanding the aggression in Lebanon complicates their lives further. We call for the world to wake up and stop the war on Gaza, as this is more realistic." He further pointed out that "Hezbollah has decided to respond to Israeli aggression proportionally, ensuring that any expansion of Israeli attacks will be met with increased response, resistance, and confrontation from Hezbollah and the resistance in Lebanon. This is a firm decision." "When Israel attacked one of our brothers in Sarafand, a response was carried out on Tuesday with an attack using three assault drones that targeted the command headquarters of the Golani Brigade and the Unit Egoz in the Shraga base north of Acre," Qassem said. He noted, "According to the Israeli army radio, during this strike, 200,000 Israeli settlers in the north sought shelter. This was all due to just three drones, so you can imagine the outcomes if they cross the borders further."

Christiane Tager/This Beirut/April 28/2024
Ten billion dollars. This is the staggering figure of losses in Lebanon put forward by the Caretaker Minister of Economy, Amine Salam, as a result of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Beyond the human and material losses, there is an economic dimension that can no longer be ignored. For a country already at the bottom of the pit, this is one war too many. Conflicts indeed have a significant humanitarian impact, but they also carry a heavy economic cost that cannot be overlooked. On average, a war annihilates 15% of a country’s GDP. In this context, beyond its humanitarian consequences, war slows down economic growth and intensifies inflation. Overall, the economic risks are multiplied. Additionally, citizens tend to spend less money on their daily consumption and save more. They also refrain from purchasing durable goods. Consequently, the entire economic cycle is disrupted. According to economist Fouad Zmokhol, there are no exact figures. He points out that the figure of $10 billion put forward by the Caretaker Minister of Economy, Amine Salam, is entirely plausible. “The destruction and loss of income in the southern economy, especially in the agriculture and livestock sectors, are dramatic and will persist in the years to come due to phosphorus bombings, not to mention the losses in terms of investment and growth,” he explains.
Devastated Agriculture in the South
Fires have reignited in southern Lebanon since last Wednesday, and seven villages have been attacked again with phosphorus, according to sources in the Ministry of Agriculture. “Since the beginning of the war, 55 villages have been bombed 737 times with phosphorus. 6,000 dunums have caught fire, of which 2,200 have completely burned. These include forests, olive groves, oaks, and fruit trees,” the aforementioned sources specify. More than 60,000 olive trees and between 4,000 and 5,000 trees of various species (oaks and pines) have been destroyed. 55% of woods have been burned, 35% of fruit trees, and 10% of herbs (parsley, mint, coriander) have been damaged. Tobacco growers will also not be able to plant this year as they cannot access their land (production represents about 2 million kilograms, which accounts for 55% of the country’s total production and generates more than 10 million dollars in revenue). As for fruits and citrus fruits, on a cultivated area of 7,500 hectares, the South alone generates 72% of the income from this sector (16.25 million dollars out of a total of 22.5 million dollars). The South produces 22% of Lebanon’s fruits and citrus fruits and 38% of the country’s olives, supplying 5,000 out of the 25,000 tons of olive oil produced annually in Lebanon. Thus, the losses suffered during the bombings can affect up to a fifth of the profits from Lebanese olive production, which amounts to nearly 23 million dollars.
All these crops generate vital income for the residents of the South, especially in border villages. Interviewed by This is Beirut, an agricultural expert explains that it is possible to replant the lands, but first, they need to be cleaned and checked for soil and water contamination, which is very likely with the use of white phosphorus. Additionally, significant financial and technical investments are required to restore full productivity. The ministry has not yet conducted the required analyses; therefore, it is still impossible to determine when farmers will be able to resume cultivation of their lands. It should be noted that 65% of the population in the South works in the agricultural sector, given that this region benefits from favorable agro-climatic conditions. It is a highly productive area for a wide variety of products and represents about 80% of the GDP of southern Lebanon. The Caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, estimated the losses in the agricultural sector alone to be “several billion dollars,” emphasizing, however, that this is an estimate as the war has not yet ended.
A Blow to Hotels
It is also a blow to the tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). While Lebanese expatriates return to the country despite tensions at the border, foreign tourists are no longer coming. Therefore, “the hotel industry is severely affected, with the majority of Lebanese expatriates owning residences in Lebanon,” said the president of the Federation of Tourist Syndicates and the Hoteliers Syndicate, Pierre Achkar. He also mentioned that small mountain hotels, which are not large establishments, have closed their doors, but they do not formally declare it. They open randomly for three to four days when they have customers. He emphasized that the real survival challenge for hotels lies in the exorbitant costs of electricity and water, expressing despair at any potential state aid. Achkar stated that despite everything, the situation is not completely bleak, as some establishments like the Four Seasons or Le Gray are reopening. However, he is convinced that true hope will only come when the war is over.

This Beirut/April 28/2024
A Syrian national was stabbed in the chest and killed by an unknown Lebanese in front of the “Big Sale” stores in Dora, east of Beirut. The motives behind the attack are still unknown. As a result, he was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Dora, but he soon succumbed to his injuries. The security services rushed to the scene and started an investigation to identify and track down the killer. The area is witnessing a state of tension as a number of Syrians gathered in the street in Dora to protest against the assault amid heavy deployment of the security services and the Lebanese army.

ARAB NEWS/April 28, 2024
RIYADH: Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a special session of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh on Monday, Jordan News Agency reported. Khasawneh reaffirmed Jordan’s support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to providing assistance to Palestinians in their pursuit of legitimate rights on their national soil. He said that lasting peace and stability in the region depend on a political resolution within the framework of a two-state solution. Khasawneh said that such a solution should lead to the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the lines of June 4, 1967. He underlined Jordan's efforts to halt the war in Gaza and ensure sustained humanitarian aid flow. Jordan remains committed to delivering aid to Gaza through both land crossings and airdrops conducted by the Jordanian army, Khasawneh said. In a CNN interview earlier this month, Jordan’s Queen Rania explained the reason for the airdrops in an area where the UN has reported a widespread food crisis. “We found that after trying so hard in vain to persuade Israel to open the land access points, that we had to do something. We couldn’t just sit idle and watch people starving,” she said. Khasawneh also warned against any Israeli military assault on the Palestinian city of Rafah. Both parties agreed to convene meetings of the Jordanian-Palestinian Joint Higher Committee in Amman in early June, led by the respective prime ministers.

Students and children in Gaza thank pro-Palestinian protesters at US college campuses
Tareq Alhelou, Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman and Zeena Saifi, CNN/April 28, 2024
Dozens of Palestinian students and children staged a display of solidarity at a demonstration in southern Gaza on Sunday to express gratitude for the support seen on US college campuses in recent weeks. Video from the Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah shows children holding banners with messages that read: “Students of Columbia University, continue to stand by us” and, “Violating our right to education and life is a war crime.” The students gathered around makeshift tents near a school that now serves as a shelter for Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza. Footage shows people spray-painting messages of gratitude on the fabric of the tents. “Thank you, students in solidarity with Gaza. Your message has reached (us),” says one of the messages. Takfeer Abu-Yousuf, a displaced student from Beit Hanoun in Northern Gaza, told CNN from the camp he felt it was necessary to thank the students in the US who “supported us with their humanity.”“Those are thank you messages on our tents, those tents that don’t protect us from the heat or cold. The least we can do is thank them. We can’t write these thank you messages on the walls of our homes because we have no homes. They have been destroyed on top of our children, elders, and women,” he said. Eighteen-year-old Rana Al-Taher pointed to the school in the camp, telling CNN that what should have been a place for learning and education has become a place for sheltering. “That means that we have lost our education. We have lost our only hope in Gaza and we want it back. We’re here to ask for it back. It’s our right to have it back… that’s why we’re here,” she said. According to the UN, there have been “direct hits” on more than 200 schools in Gaza since Israel’s bombardment began. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said that “no education is happening in Gaza at all for nearly six months.”In a recent report, UN experts decried the “systemic obliteration” of Gaza’s education system. “The persistent, callous attacks on educational infrastructure in Gaza have a devastating long-term impact on the fundamental rights of people to learn and freely express themselves, depriving yet another generation of Palestinians of their future,” the experts said. First-year university student Bayan Al-Fiqhi told CNN she has not been able to attend her classes at her university in Cairo since the war in Gaza began and was very appreciative to students in the US for “staging their solidarity protest.” “We hope they add pressure on Israel and the US to stop the bloodbath that is taking place in the Gaza Strip and to prevent the invasion of Rafah,” she added. The fate of Rafah has been hanging over the 1.3 million Palestinians displaced there. There have been weeks of speculation around when Israel might begin its anticipated military operation in the city. The UN has repeatedly warned against an Israeli ground invasion, saying an offensive “could lead to slaughter” in the southern region. Twenty-one-year-old Nowar Diab told CNN she lamented the impact Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has had on her academic pursuits. “I was supposed to be a graduate this year. I studied English and French literature at Al-Azhar university, but Al-Azhar university got bombarded… this war stood like a border between me and my dreams and the beginning of my career,” she said. “Today I am standing here to tell the whole world that we, Gazan students, go through pain and we suffer every single day,” she added. Diab said despite the brutality of Israel’s war, the resilience and determination of Gazan students to persevere was clear for the world to see.

UAE field hospital in Gaza provides prosthetics for wounded Palestinians
ARAB NEWS/April 28, 2024
RIYADH: The UAE field hospital in Gaza has begun the process of fitting prosthetics for individuals who lost limbs during Israel’s war on the encalve, Emirates News Agency reported on Sunday. The hospital revealed plans to distribute 61 prosthetics to wounded people over several phases, with each phase accommodating 10 individuals for the fitting process, coupled with physical and psychological rehabilitation support. Established last December, the UAE field hospital in Gaza boasts a capacity of 200 beds and operates with a medical team comprising 98 volunteers from 23 different countries, including 73 men and 25 women. Since then, the hospital has conducted a total of 1,517 major and minor surgeries, catering to over 18,000 cases necessitating medical intervention. Their services range from initial first aid to life-saving surgeries, provision of essential treatments and medications, intensive care, and ongoing medical consultations and support.

Houthis expecting ‘hostile’ reaction from US over Red Sea attacks, drone downing

Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published

As we mark Passover, when Jews celebrate their founding liberation from a tyrannical Pharaoh who enslaved them, the sages remind us Pharaohs come in all guises and liberation is not a one-time event. It must be re-enacted in each generation and in each heart.
Today,16 million Jews in a world of eight billion face rising external threats. The indigenous home of the Jewish people and the lone Jewish state among 195 countries is encircled by Iranian-armed proxies committed to its annihilation and by increasing global delegitimization.
Yet it’s hard to find a graver internal challenge to both Israel and world Jewry than Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yes, echad mishelanu, one of ours. Democratically elected by a sovereign Jewish nation in whose affairs, American Jews are repeatedly warned, it is wrong to interfere or even criticize.
But just as any Jew in America may speak out against a foreign potentate such as Vladimir Putin or Victor Orban, we are free to criticize any world leader. Especially a distracted, criminally indicted Prime Minister who failed to protect the Jewish homeland from its worst-ever, mass-casualty attack and whose reactionary ultra-nationalism tests our values and identity as Jews.
Netanyahu did not just fail Israelis on 10/7 and in the mismanaged war since, his actions directly imperil our own status and safety in America. Our children’s, too.
We must also decry a grandiose, divisive figure whose small country depends on our support and our votes in Congress but who provincially smashed U.S. pro-Israel bipartisanship and even endangers America’s standing and stability.
If dual loyalty is an anti-Semitic trope, so is dual disloyalty.
On this Passover, we must call out Benjamin Netanyahu’s rap sheet of multiple misdeeds and catastrophic failures. He is incontrovertibly Israel’s longest serving and worst Prime Minister. A once-blessed-seeming and accomplished figure who still holds parts of his nation in thrall—for all their hardheadedness, the children of Israel remain susceptible to false idols—Netanyahu has turned into a corrupt and destructive autocrat, an Israeli Pharaoh.
Having decimated albeit not eradicated the terrorist army he long bolstered, Netanyahu could end the Gaza war and rescue every Israeli hostage while offering Palestinians, absent Hamas, a pathway to govern a demilitarized Gaza under an international force. But instead, he’s scheming to stay in power by pandering to the messianic Israeli right (whom he elevated) and avoiding elections until his battered reputation recovers. He’s prolonging the war and dire humanitarian crisis and risking new conflicts while squandering a historic opportunity for a US-Saudi-Israel pact and Israeli-Palestinian progress.
Appallingly, he’s reverting to the same inflammatory language that launched him as the anti-Rabin, anti-Oslo rabble rouser in 1995 but whose repeated failure as policy—suppressing moderate Palestinians, thus granting extremists a foothold—contributed to the unprecedented catastrophe of October 7.
It is a bitter, tragic but underappreciated irony that amid all its fall-out, the cataclysm of 10/7 proved the far-reaching, extra-legal veracity of the three criminal charges against Netanyahu in his ongoing corruption trial: "fraud, bribery and breach of trust.” This was far worse than trading political favors and regulatory benefits for lavish gifts and flattering coverage from moguls.
Netanyahu’s greatest, long-term “fraud” (the Palestinians are a sideshow and can be safely marginalized) and his systematic policy of “bribery” to perpetuate that fraud (paying off the violently Islamist Hamas to buy quiet and undermine the Oslo-abiding Palestinian Authority) were fatally implicated on 10/7. The upshot? Netanyahu’s seismic and ignominious “breach of trust” with the Israeli public: his failure to protect the nation, his most sacred obligation, leading to Israel’s worst one-day death toll and the greatest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust.
It's hard to overstate how 10/7 was a total refutation of Netanyahu’s 30-year policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ensuring Israel’s security. He was completely, cataclysmically, wrong. Thousands of abandoned Israel civilians paid the price in blood and trauma and will continue to pay for a generation. (Notwithstanding 200,000 internally displaced Israelis.)
Yet now Netanyahu outrageously tries to dodge and spin his colossal failure. He pretends Israel’s most racist, anti-Palestinian, ultra-right government that he assembled and led did not bring about this disaster. Or that he wasn’t repeatedly warned his judicial overreach was undermining Israel’s military and inviting attack.Like the son who murders both parents, then demands mercy as an orphan, Netanyahu now claims only he can defend Israel from the same Jihadist group he propped up for years to avoid negotiating with its secular, more moderate alternative. Can you really trust this compromised, ineffective man to protect the Jewish state? Or to conduct a strategic war with accountability for Israeli hostages, Palestinian non-combatants and a coherent post-war plan?
Underneath his political brilliance and wily rhetoric, Netanyahu is a repeat failure. And one-man wrecking crew. He has strengthened Israel’s greatest enemy, enhancing Iran’s nuclear, ballistic and proxy capability while cementing its alliance with Russia and China. Simultaneously, he weakened Israel’s crucial U.S. alliance, damaged Israel’s international reputation and provoked anti-Semitism globally. He’s even stealthily continuing the judicial coup that led to extraordinary nationwide protests against his corruption and illiberalism.
We should urge Netanyahu’s replacement now despite the ongoing war in Gaza, knowing every decision he makes is tainted by self-interest, not always Israel’s best interest.
The generals in the War Cabinet don’t need him and any of his rivals from the non-extremist right, center or left could do a better job tomorrow.
If this Pharoah won’t let his people go, they need to let him go!
I propose a new song of liberation for this year's Haggadah. It draws on a popular Seder song about gratitude that lists all the great deeds God performed for the Jewish people, answered by “Dayenu,” meaning “it would have been enough” (had he only done this one thing for us). But in the contrarian spirit of this new song for change, celebrants compile a list of many awful things Netanyahu has done and declare our ingratitude to him. And we remind ourselves each bad act alone should have been enough to eject him. The list culminatesin theunmitigated disaster of October 7 and the equally disastrous war since.
How many of Bibi’s iniquities can you list for this year’s Seder?
But Israel’s haters and anti-Semites beware. This new song aims to strengthen the Jewish state and the Jewish people, not weaken them.
It’s a song for Jews who celebrate freedom and reject oppression. Palestinians and faithful Muslims must do their own reckoning with the despotism, debauchery, and fanaticism of Hamas. If the Jews need a new Moses to show them a more tolerant, transformative vision of the Promised Land, Palestinians need a new Mohammed who can free them from the bondage of Hamas and promote the Islamic virtues of peace and reconciliation.
There has been too much suffering and death on all sides. Israel must replace Netanyahu and re-establish its long-term security and its moral standing while moving beyond the 57-year occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza. Palestinians must replace Hamas and choose new leadership that upholds both their struggle for autonomy and their ethical values.
No progress is possible without both internal and external liberation.
Dayenu. Enough already!
Contact us at letters@time.com.

'You Have a Beautiful Daughter...': The Persecution of Christians, March 2024
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/April 28, 2024
ريمون ابراهيم/معهد كايتستون: قائمة مفصلة بجرائم الإعتداءات على المسيحيين في العديد من الدول خلال شهر آذار 2024

[O]n March 25, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan awarded custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to her Muslim kidnapper.
Charges were filed, "but instead of arresting the two suspects, police tipped them off .... Since that time, they have been threatening me and my mother to withdraw the case or face the consequences." – Morning Star News, March 8, 2024,Pakistan.
"Christians are obviously a despised minority [in Yemen]... Christians are often last in line as it relates to being able to receive the care and attention there as war and as these things continue to escalate. That has a ripple effect ... while Christians were already last [in] line, that line becomes even further elongated." — Open Doors USA CEO Ryan Brown, Christian Broadcasting Network, March 8, 2024.
"I thought it only happened elsewhere." — Mayor of Clermont d'Excideuil, France, March 11, 2024.
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Russia: On March 22, Muslim terrorists armed with automatic weapons launched an attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow, massacring at least139 people and wounding more. Boasting of "killing Christians," ISIS quicklyclaimedthe attack in a statement that said the assault was intentionally designed to target "thousands of Christians." Two months earlier, ISIS issued a communique to the "Lions of Islam" — presumably Muslim "avengers" around the world — to terrorize and slaughter Christians and Jews, including by targeting churches and synagogues. An excerptfollows:
"Chase your preys whether Jewish, Christian or their allies, on the streets and roads of America, Europe, and the world. Break into their homes, kill them and steal their peace of mind by any means you can lay hands on..... [S]hoot them with bullets, cut their throats with sharp knives, and run them over with vehicles. A sincere person will not lack the means to draw blood from the hearts of the Jews, the Christians, and their allies, and thusease the suffering in the hearts of the believers. Come at them from every door, kill them by the worst of means, turn their gatherings and celebrations into bloody massacres, do not distinguish between a civilian kaffir, and a military one, for they are all kuffar and the ruling against them is one.... Intentionally seek easy targets before hard ones, civilian targets before military one, religious targets like synagogues and churches before others, for this will satisfy the soul."
Uganda: On March 30, Muslims hacked a Christian man to death for leading Muslims—all of whom immediately went into hiding—to Christ. Ronald Twinomugisha was 32.Accordingto his neighbor, an eyewitness, men dressed in Islamic attire entered into Ronald's home around 7 p.m.:
"At around 8 p.m. I heard an alarm and a call for help then followed by a loud bang like that of splitting firewood. It was a loud wailing saying, 'Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! I am working for Jesus Christ! Please, Jesus is the one who sent me!' I feared to come out of my house, but shortly the voice stopped."
Ronald's body was later found in a pool of his own blood:
"The attackers left a note saying, 'We learned what you have been teaching, and misleading Muslims and leading them to a wrong religion from the course and path of Allah.'"
Separately, on March 8, Muslimsmurderedanother Christian man for similarly leading other Muslims to Christ. Earlier that day, Kiisa Masolo, 45, had been preaching in the streets, and returned home around 7 p.m., at which point seven masked men dressed in Islamic attire broke into his house and abducted him. According to his mother, Norah,
"After whisking him away, three men remained behind and told me that, 'Allah is very displeased with your son, and we're out to punish him.' Then the three men left."
Her son's slain body was later found with deep cuts to the head and neck, and a note in Arabic pinned to it.
"A person fluent in Arabic was called to read the script which stated, 'We had warned you not to convert our Muslim brothers and sisters to Christianity, but you failed to heed to our warning. This has finally cost your life.'... I tried to advise my son to be very cautious with his life, but he used to tell me that his life was in the hands of God and that he was called to carry out the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Since then, I knew that the life of my son was in danger, and he might not live for long due to the many threatening messages of Allah who was out to kill him."
Finally, on March 29, a Muslim manmurderedhis 19-year-old sister after he discovered that she had become Christian. Earlier that day, Namukuve's father had called her and her six siblings to a family meeting devoted to inquiring why she was not attending Muslim prayers. According to a relative,
"Namukuve kept quiet for a while and later replied that she had converted to Prophet Issa [Jesus Christ]. This angered her elder brother, Abdul Rahim Munaabi, and he got hold of a wooden chair and hit her on the head. She cried out once, saying, 'Oh Mum,' [who was away] and then stopped breathing.... Namukuve's body was removed from the house and dumped in a swamp near the River Naigombwa."
Somalia: On Good Friday, March 29, Muslims connected to the Islamic terror group Al Shabaabslaughteredsix Christians from bordering Kenya for spreading Christianity.
Kenya: On March 8, Muslims ambushed andslaughteredan evangelist and seriously wounded three other Christians. On first trapping the four men, the large group of Muslims complained "that they were not happy about the conversion of their fellow Muslims, especially their relatives during their door-to door mission outreach," Masaba, one of the injured, said:
"This led the discussion getting more tense, and there and then one of the Muslims got hold of Ismail Wafula and pierced him with a sharp knife on the neck, chest and in the stomach, and he sustained terrible wounds on the head. He then fell down bleeding."
The other Muslims began assaulting the three remaining men and tearing their Bibles:
"We started screaming, wailing and calling for help. Thank God there came an approaching vehicle that arrived as well as some people living close by."
Nigeria: Some March headlines from the ongoingMuslim genocide of Christiansin the African nation follow:
March 26: "Herdsmen Kill Pastor, Five other Christians in Central Nigeria"
March 27: "Pastor, His Family and Other Christians Killed in Nigeria"
March 28: "Herdsmen Kill Seven Christians in Central Nigeria"
Pakistan: The Abduction, Rape, and Forced Conversion of Christian Girls
A 13-year-old Christian girl, Mariyam Masih,disappearedwhile shopping for groceries. Her family immediately searched the region but discovered no leads as to her whereabouts of the girl. According to Yunish Masih, her father, an impoverished rickshaw driver,
"I am tirelessly scouring the streets from dawn till dusk on my rickshaw in search of Mariyam. There are no leads to her whereabouts, but we live in a very busy neighbourhood and someone must know something. My family and I are caught up in such deep despair, our grief knows no end, we believe our daughter is still alive but every day she is missing our fear grows. I don't know what local police are doing but they have not even put up missing posters, how can they find Mariyam without reaching out to the community? I pray daily that God will return our beautiful daughter home."
The family's fears are heightened by another Christian girl also having disappeared—on Christmas Eve, no less—only to be later discoveredslain in a field. As documentedhere, many Christian girls—and boys—have similarly disappeared in Pakistan only to be later found raped and murdered. Discussing this latest incident, Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee for British Asian Christian Association,said:
"[Mariyam's] parents are enduring unimaginable anguish. It's a heartbreaking reality that Christian girls in Pakistan are often targeted by sexual predators or traffickers, leaving them vulnerable to unspeakable fates such as murder, forced marriage, or exploitation in the sex trade. The family's desperation grows with each passing moment, clinging to hope for any information that might reveal Mariyam's whereabouts. Yet, as time elapses, the window of opportunity narrows."
Separately, on March 25, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan awarded custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to herMuslim kidnapper. Two months earlier, the girl, Roshni Shakeel, had in no uncertain terms spurned the advances of her future kidnapper, Muazzam Mazhar, 28. But then Muazzam's father, Abbas, began calling (from Saudi Arabia) and pressuring Roshni's father to relent and surrender the girl to his unemployed son, saying in one call:
"You have a beautiful daughter and it would be better for you to give her to my son yourself—there's nothing you Chuhras [pejorative term for Christians] can do to stop us from taking her."
According to the kidnapped girl's father, Shakeel, who is only five years older than his daughter's would-be suitor:
"I stopped taking Abbas's phone calls after that, and this offended him to the extent that he encouraged his son to abduct Roshni and forcibly marry her."
Accordingly, on March 13, the girl disappeared while her parents were away from home. They immediately went to local authorities who eventually informed them that the 13-year-old girl had married and converted to Islam of her own "free will," and that there was nothing they could do. The parents' took the case to court, but the judge ruled in favor of the kidnapper. Discussing the ruling, her fathersaid:
"My wife and I were hoping that the judge would consider it a clear case of child marriage and order action against the accused, but we were utterly disappointed when he completely ignored our pleas for justice."
The judge also ignored all the case documents and birth certificate and posed only one question to the 13-year-old girl—whether she had married of her own free will. When she replied in the affirmative, "the judge congratulated her on the marriage and said she was free to live with her husband," Shakeelsaid.
"My wife and I pleaded the judge to at least consider her age and the fact that the child was under the influence of the accused for over two weeks, and she could have been easily coerced into giving that statement. Instead of listening to us and our lawyer, the judge hushed us with a hand gesture and announced his decision."
Her parents were not even allowed to meet with and ask Roshni about her wellbeing:
"In fact, the police and family members of the accused blocked her view during the entire time she was in the courtroom. They then took her away in front of our eyes, and there was nothing I could do to stop them."
Although he sold many of his meagre possessions to hire a lawyer and take the case to court, last reported, her father remainedadamantto recover her:
"Roshni is just a child, how can I let that criminal exploit her and then God forbid, sell her into slavery? I will not stop till I rescue my daughter."
In another Pakistani case, according to a March 8report:
"Police in Pakistan are pressuring a young Christian woman to withdraw charges against two Muslims who raped, blackmailed, and tried to forcibly convert her to Islam."
The 26-year-old woman, a resident of Islamabad, whose name is withheld as a rape victim, said one of the men, Hussain, had originally borrowed a large sum of money from her mother. A month later, he told the Christian woman to follow him to a colleague's house, who would pay her back. "When we reached the house," the woman said, "Hussain left me in a room on the pretext of making a phone call." Soon thereafter, his friend, Waleed barged into the room brandishing an AK-47 rifle:
"He fired a bullet on the wall to scare me and then sexually assaulted me, disregarding my cries for mercy. I cannot express the horror I suffered in those moments as my mind and body went completely numb. After assaulting me, Waleed made videos of me with his cell phone and threatened that he would share them on social media if I reported the incident to the police and did not surrender to his demands."
"The nightmare was only beginning," the reportadds, "as Waleed continued to blackmail her with videos, compelling her to repeatedly meet with him repeatedly." She eventually confessed everything to her widowed mother:
"My mother broke down when she heard about my suffering, but she told me not to worry. She then took me to the police station where I narrated my story, showed evidence of the blackmailing and filed a rape case against Waleed and Hussain. I also appealed to the police to recover the blackmail content from their phones."
Charges were filed, "but instead of arresting the two suspects, police tipped them off, and they obtained pre-arrest bails.... Since that time, they have been threatening me and my mother to withdraw the case or face the consequences."
Muslim Attacks on Apostates and Blasphemers
Uganda: On March 25, a Muslim manbeathis wife and 10-year-old daughter and scorched them with boiling water after he returned home early and discovered them praying in Jesus's name. "I had put water on for preparing millet bread that was at the boiling point," said the wife, Zafara Nagudi, 32: "Suddenly I saw my husband at the door of the kitchen, and immediately we stopped praying." He repeatedly questioned her as to what they were doing:
"Ieventually told him the truth, that we were praying to Jesus Christ to help our family. He became very furious and said, 'I heard everything but am surprised! Are you a Christian or Muslim?'... From there he slapped me and kicked me while boxing me. Since he was in the doorway, we couldn't run away. He grabbed the saucepan of hot water and poured it on me and the child."
He then stormed out of the house "thinking he had killed them." She managed to call her nearby sister who rushed them to a hospital. It took a week before they were discharged.
Pakistan: On March 6, police arrested Ashbeel Ghauri, an 18-year-old Christian youth, on the accusation that he hadblasphemed against Islam. His accusers, a group of Muslim classmates had long been pressuring him to convert to Islam, but Ashbeel, described as a "devout Christian," refused "to renounce his faith in Christ," his father, Babar, said, adding:
"Ashbeel has categorically denied making any derogatory remarks about Islam. He always asked academic questions about the Islamic faith whenever he was forcibly dragged into such [a] conversation. As Christians living in Pakistan, we are all well aware of the sensitivities involving religious discussion, and our children are taught from day one to avoid getting into such arguments."
According to lawyer Nadeem Hassan, Ashbeel's accusers claim that
"the Christian had allegedly said that Islam was a false religion, and its teachings were also false. [In fact] Ashbeel merely stated that he believed in the God of the Bible and said his Christian faith did not allow four marriages contrary to Islamic teachings. The complainant's allegation that Ashbeel called Islam a false religion during a phone call has not been substantiated with any evidence."
As the eldest of three children, Ashbeel's impoverished family had long placed their hopes for a better future on him. Now he is facing up to ten years' imprisonment:
"It's a crucial time for my family, especially for Ashbeel, but we know God will walk us through this test, and he will emerge victorious in faith. His mother and I met him in prison on March 8, and though he is concerned about his condition, Ashbeel told us not to worry because he knows Christ will not forsake him."
Yemen: The plight of Christians has worsened due to the rise of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and their attacks on infrastructure, according to a March 8reportwith quotes from Open Doors USA CEO Ryan Brown:
"The Christians in this area are folks that were formerly Muslim–Muslim background believers that have converted to Christianity. Christians are obviously a despised minority... Christians are often last in line as it relates to being able to receive the care and attention there as war and as these things continue to escalate. That has a ripple effect ... It can disrupt supply chains, and so, while Christians were already last [in] line, that line becomes even further elongated. And so Christians are very much impacted by what's going on currently."
Because most Christians in Yemen come from Muslim backgrounds,
"they keep their new faith secret to avoid severe persecution and possibly death at the hands of their clan or family members. And if they are not killed for their faith, they are often blamed for their connections to the West.... They become easy targets... Christians are seen as enemies on all fronts there."
Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches
Pakistan: After a local Muslim vowed to prevent Christians from celebrating Easter in their church, the building went up in flames hours before Resurrection Day. According to onereport,
"On the morning of March 30th, 2024, the Presbyterian Church in Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi, became a scene of devastation as flames engulfed its sacred halls. What should have been a place of solace and prayer was instead reduced to ashes, leaving behind a community reeling in shock and fear. Reports indicate that the blaze, ignited by unknown individuals around 3:00 am, tore through the church with merciless intensity. By the time the fire brigade arrived, the damage was extensive, with the roof, furniture, and cherished Biblical literature, including Bibles and hymn books, all consumed by the inferno."
The church's pastor, Rev. Adeem Alphonse,said,
"The huge fire burned everything inside the church, including holy books, the sound system, furniture and curtains, etc. We strongly suspect that it's a case of arson, but the police and administration are trying to hush up the matter by terming it an outcome of a short-circuit in the electricity wiring."
Egypt: On Sunday, March 24, a firebroke outin the Church of St. George in Akhmim. With the help of church youth and locals, civil authorities managed to extinguish the blaze. Mass had been held in the church earlier that day, but when the conflagration, began the building was empty, so no one was hurt. The fire did, however, destroy much of the second floor. Initial reporting said the cause of fire was "unknown." That said, arson attacks on churches in Egypt are commonplace.Accordingto Egyptian researcher Magdi Khalil, "close toone thousand churcheshave been attacked or torched by mobs in the last five decades [since the 1970s] in Egypt." In recent years, however, virtually all church fires—including those in11 separate churchesthat were torched in just one month alone (Aug. 2022) — are nowadays presented as an "accident." Meanwhile, truly accidental fires in mosques in Egypt — which outnumber churches by a ratio of 40 to 1 — are almost unheard of.
Indonesia: On Sunday, March 8, local Muslimssurroundedthe home of a Christian because she was using it to hold a worship service. Police arrived before violence ensued and made the pastor sign an agreement promising never again to use her home for worship. Discussing this incident, Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, said holding worship at a house is explicitly permitted in Indonesia's Join Ministerial Decree of 2006, which requires a permit only for a venue constructed as a permanent worship site:
"The problem is that those who are intolerant always think that when Christians gather to worship, it is something that violates the rules – that worshiping together must be in a house of worship or church."
Germany: On March 15, two churches weredefiled with excrement. In one of them, the feces were found near the altar. (As documentedhere, "fecal attacks" on churches are growing in Western European regions with large Muslim populations.) Another church wasset on fire, anotherpelted with eggs, and another had itsaltar desecrated.
Italy: On March 5, a church in Brindisi wassmearedwith red paint, including the word "Palestine." Even so, according to thereport, "police excluded a political motive." At least two other churches weredesecratedandrobbed.
France: Attacks on Churches and Christian Symbols
Although anti-Christian activities are very common in France, the month of March was more dramatic than usual. Some incidents follow:
On March 5, police foiled an Islamic plot tobomb Notre Dame Cathedral(much of which "inexplicably" went up in flames in 2019). A Muslim man of Egyptian origin, 62, was arrested. The report notes that this was just the latest terror attack to be foiled in the previous three weeks. Discussing it, France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said:
"We have never foiled so many attacks in France. The Islamic State is the author of the last eight foiled attacks in France. We foil a lot of [such terror] attacks, one every two months."
On March 5, another 62-year-old man "clearly committed to jihadist ideology," wasarrestedand indicted on March 8 for terrorist conspiracy as well as for planning "violent action in a Catholic religious building," to quote from court documents.
On Easter Eve, March 30, an illegal Muslim migrant from Senegal with a previous crime record was "arrested for advocating terrorism and for threatening to burn down the Notre Dame de la Voie church, in Athis Mons, in Essonne." According to areport:
"Shortly before 7 p.m., he entered the church, addressed a parishioner by calling himself a Muslim, telling her he had visions and warning her that the religious building would burn within three months, before leaving."
On being arrested near another church, the Muslim man said he was only "kidding."
On March 28, a Muslim man of Albanian origin entered a church while mass was in progress and beganshouting"Allahu akbar" ["Allah is greatest"].
On Sunday, March 10, the Notre Dame de Partout chapel in Saint-Mesin was discoveredspray paintedwith several Islamic slogans, including "convert," "Last warning," and "the cross will be broken." The cross opposite the chapel was also vandalized. On the following day, more acts of desecration against churches, crosses, and a cemetery were discovered in the nearby commune of Clermont d'Excideuil, home to just a few hundred people. According to onereport;
"Inscriptions with Islamic references were found on graves, the war memorial, the church door, a calvary memorial, and a fountain. Some of the tags read 'France is already Allah's,' 'Isa [Jesus] will break the cross,' and 'Submit to Islam.' Altogether, more than 50 graves were smeared. On two tombs the letters 'GWER' were written with a paint spray. The term 'gwer' refers to a white person, a Westerner, or a non-Muslim. Another grave was marked with the term 'Kouffar,' which designates disbelievers. The desecration occurred on the eve of Ramadan."
A local residentsaidthe threatening messages "make me cold in the back... When I read this, it freezes me. It's a trauma for the municipality."
At least five other large, public crosses (or calvaries) were tagged with similar Islamic warnings and threats since the start of the year in France. "It's weird in a small town like that,"saidthe mayor of Clermont d'Excideuil, the most recent region to be attacked: "I thought it only happened elsewhere."
On March 1, about 40 tombstones in another cemetery in Fresselines weredesecrated and vandalized.
On March 26, an important public cross which had stood for many generations in the village of Lias—of which the mayor said "was more than a religious symbol, was the soul of our village"—was foundbrokenup into four pieces.
"Leila, 21," begins a March 15report, "was planning to attack the faithful of a church in Béziers on Easter Day with a sword when she was arrested. She is on trial in Paris for conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes." The report adds that police discovered photos of decapitated bodies and videos of beheadings and how to make acid bombs in her home. In her spiral notebook, she writes of:
"[my] increasingly intense desire to go out into the street to slit the throat of the first passer-by, drag his corpse into the forest and smash his skull with an iron bar or a hammer then return to look for someone else... I have learned to cut throats so there will probably be no problem."
On March 12, another unidentified woman, aged 39, barged into a church during morning mass, where she made threats whilewaving a knifearound. She was diagnosed as schizophrenic and hospitalized. The church has already suffered an arson attack, and stands near an area where three teenagers once violently attacked two other teens with tear gas whilecallingthem "dirty Christians," a term regularly employed by Muslims.
There were many otherattackson churches—two ofwhichwere suspectedarson—in France.
Generic Muslim Abuse of Christians
Pakistan: On March 23, Muslim employersbeat and shotWaqas Masih, a 42-year-old Christian laborer for requesting the wages owed him to buy clothes for his two children for Easter celebrations. According to his brother, Akash:
"The two men [the employers] first brutally tortured Waqas with the iron rods, and then Luqman pulled out a pistol and opened fire on him, resulting in a bullet injury on his right thigh. We were able to take him to the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad on time, otherwise he could have died due to excessive bleeding.... We are very poor, and a majority of the nearly 300 Christian families living in the village work as laborers for Muslim landowners. We are often subjected to cruelty and torture because we are weak and helpless."
In fact, Akash said, this is the second such attack:
"In December, my father, brother, Waqas, and his wife were attacked in our home when he requested his employers to pay his wages for Christmas."
In a separate incident, Muslims savagely beat their Christian coworker for receiving a promotion. According to the March 18report:
"Noel is a father of four and has been working as a driver for the last five years. Because of his hard work, honesty, and punctuality, he was promoted to supervisor. However, his Muslim co-workers refused to work under a Christian supervisor... When he left the workplace, about half a dozen Muslim coworkers stopped him on the road and they dragged him and thrashed him with clubs and iron rods. They left Noel unconscious on the road where he was found by Good Samaritans and sent him to the local hospital. The mob broke two ribs and two bones in his legs. His face was badly scratched as well."
Raymond Ibrahim, author ofDefenders of the West,Sword and Scimitar,Crucified Again,andThe Al Qaeda Reader,is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
© 2024 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.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20605/persecution-of-christians-march

Borge Brende/Arab News/April 28, 2024
Today’s most pressing challenges — as well as the future’s most promising opportunities — are not bound by borders. Strengthening our economies, improving our collective security, addressing climate change, and unlocking the benefits of frontier technologies all depend on cooperative approaches. Yet, the world is at risk of drifting toward a perilous state in which collaborative agendas are replaced by confrontational mindsets.
A more contentious geopolitical climate is of such concern that in September 2023, at the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned: “Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond.”
Indeed, alarm bells abound; for instance, just 12 percent of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals are on target to be met by the 2030 deadline.
Thankfully, though, there are some bright spots.
At the G20 summit last December, India made it a priority to include representation from the Global South in the dialogue and steered leaders of the world’s largest economies to agreement on a joint declaration on climate financing, global debt and other issues — this despite predictions that agreement would be impossible to achieve.
At November’s UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, the UAE committed to leading an “inclusive and safe space for all participants,” and parties agreed for the first time to transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable sources of energy.
From April 28 to April 29, Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum will convene leaders from around the world for a special meeting in Riyadh on strengthening cooperation, particularly between the Global North and South.
What these instances have in common is that the successes are due in large measure to an inclusive approach and to the leadership of so-called “middle powers” — countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE that are not global superpowers but are playing an outsized role in moving the global agenda forward.
Leadership from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, will be vital in forging paths in two of the most urgent crises: Ukraine and Gaza.
Today, at a time of geopolitical turbulence, middle-power leadership — particularly from the Middle East — will determine whether the world makes progress on critical security, environmental, and technological priorities. This is because the solutions to several of the world’s most pressing challenges not only run through the region but require the type of collaborative approaches that middle powers have championed.
On global security, leadership from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, will be vital in forging paths in two of the most urgent crises: Ukraine and Gaza. In August 2023, Jeddah hosted peace talks for Ukraine that were vital in bringing to the table key parties from the Global North and South. In a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh earlier this year, the two discussed ways to operationalize the Ukrainian peace plan.
Riyadh has also been a critical player in working to bring parties together to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos in January, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to formally recognizing Israel if it takes steps toward a two-state solution with Palestinians.
On climate change, the success of a green energy transition that is equitable and fosters growth can only happen if capitals in the Middle East help move it forward. This is because while the region produces about 30 percent of the world’s oil and 23 percent of its natural gas, many countries are poised to become green power leaders of the future. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman recently said that the Kingdom was committed to being the “centerpiece” in the renewable market. Through its Vision 2030 plan, Saudi Arabia is diversifying non-oil exports and aiming to increase its share of non-oil GDP from 16 percent to 50 percent by the end of the decade.
And on unlocking new technology opportunities ahead, generative AI has the potential to add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in economic benefits annually, according to McKinsey & Company. But this can only happen if stakeholders worldwide work together. Here, Saudi Arabia has been building partnerships with countries around the world and has committed to an annual investment of 2.5 percent of GDP in the research, development, and innovation sector by 2040.
At a complex geopolitical moment, when challenges demand collective approaches, if middle powers continue to shape solutions, and do so in a collaborative way, we will be on course toward a stronger future.
**Borge Brende is president of the World Economic Forum, which is convening the Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development from April 28 to April 29, 2024, in Riyadh.

The fight for justice ignites elite university campuses
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/April 28, 2024
Long running pro-Palestine demonstrations at some of the most prestigious universities in the US, including Yale, Columbia and Princeton, have given way to mass sit-ins and demands for a halt to investments in Israel and in arms manufacture. Protesters at Columbia declared: “We will not rest until Columbia divests from apartheid Israel, Palestinians are free, and liberation is achieved for all oppressed people worldwide.”
Hundreds of students and academics have been arrested at campuses throughout the US for peacefully exercising their democratic freedoms. State troopers in riot gear swarmed through the University of Texas, arresting dozens on the orders of far-right Governor Greg Abbott, who declared: “These protesters belong in jail.” A police purge against Columbia University’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on April 18 inspired a host of copycat sit-ins elsewhere. “The irony is that in trying to quiet things down and assert control over the encampment, the administration unleashed this firestorm,” one professor remarked. Parallel protests are springing up in France, Britain, Germany, Austria, Canada and elsewhere.
These students’ passion and the impact of their demostrations prompted an unnerved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a brief break away from plotting mass murder and angrily denounce the protests as “reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s”. US Senator Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, forcefully hit back: “Do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal policies of your extremist and racist government … it is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions.”
Media commentators have patronisingly derided students as naive and misled, with political views shaped by TikTok. Others glibly portrayed demonstrations as fronts for “radical Islamists.” But these Ivy League students are defined by disproportionate intelligence, with attitudes toward Palestine shaped by intense, conscientious debate. With the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza heading toward 40,000, the real question is why anybody is NOT out protesting.
When I was a high-school and university student in Beirut, many of the defining and empowering moments of my adolescence were spent in protesting about the full spectrum of global causes: I probably spent more time marching in the streets than in my classes. Participation in these events cemented my views on the importance of freedom of speech, assertively putting ourselves on the right side of history. Students may have an evolving comprehension of global politics, but they habitually possess an enviably precise moral compass in defining right from wrong. Students’ ability to exploit technology and social media to mobilize and disseminate their message confounds the reactionaries who seek to silence them.
Demonstrations are denounced by right wingers as antisemitic, but this ignores the substantial Jewish contingent within these protest movements. Intimidation of both Jewish and Muslim students has been regrettably frequent, but there are countless examples of students banishing those using antisemitic slogans, counterpointed with countless examples of pro-Israel agitators provoking violence and disruption. At Boston’s Northeastern University the media widely reported a chant of “kill the Jews” — until video evidence showed that the offensive chant emanated from pro-Israel provocateurs seeking to rile up the crowd.
What we are witnessing around the world is nothing short of a battle of good vs. evil, and justice vs. injustice, as students, workers, lawyers, educators and civil servants rediscover political engagement.
Observers carp that student activism is unlikely to improve anything in Gaza, but historians say these protests are among the most consequential of modern times, comparable to the civil rights movement and student activism of the 1960s. Student-led protests shook the planet, from Tiananmen Square to the Arab world, from Latin America to apartheid-era South Africa. Nobody should be writing off these protests as irrelevant.
Yale, Harvard and Columbia are a conveyor belt into the top levels of US politics, the civil service, business and the legal profession, and campaigners from these top-ranking global universities are the elites of tomorrow. If these elites were previously defined by kneejerk pro-Israel sentiments, what should we expect when veterans of the 2024 pro-Palestine protest movement swarm into the top levels of leadership, in a wider society horrified by Israel’s brazen flouting of the rules of war? The Democratic Party’s Progressive wing is defined by its pro-Palestine tenor, with outspoken figures such as Pramila Jayapal, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib. In an increasingly diverse America, they are the future of US politics.
Seven months into the Gaza conflict, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators continue to turn out on the streets of London, Paris, New York and elsewhere. Despite constitutionally enshrined freedoms being a central tenet of European democracies, right-wing politicians have sought action against what they demonize as “hate marches.” But the right to debate and protest must be protected for all, including pro-Israel voices. Nancy Pelosi last week remarked that campus protests were a way of life in the US and that there was complete justification for objecting to the Gaza slaughter: “What's happening in Gaza challenges the consciousness of the world,” she said. Vested interests, partisan voices and entrenched elites have always hated student protests, because they relate directly to what is right and what is wrong — impassioned young people acting upon their consciences, short-circuiting convenient desires to stifle the cries of oppressed peoples. Justice and human rights are universal, they cannot be monopolized by one party in a conflict.
What we are witnessing around the world is nothing short of a battle of good vs. evil, and justice vs. injustice, as students, workers, lawyers, educators and civil servants rediscover political engagement. After decades in which students were routinely accused of being apathetic and apolitical, we can be deeply proud of this generation — our leaders of tomorrow — as they risk arrest, blacklisting and expulsion from academia in order to stand up for the rights and common humanity of those facing genocide, oppression and injustice.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Biden should take a firmer stand on protesters’ rights
Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/April 28, 2024
The semester may be winding down on university campuses around the US, but the anti-Gaza war protests are not. It has been a turbulent month of protests and of administration and police crackdowns on students and faculty members demonstrating in support of the Palestinians and a ceasefire, and against Israel’s war in Gaza.
On the one hand, there have been accusations of antisemitism and, on the other, warnings of attempts to silence free speech and trample the First Amendment have become rife on campuses and on social media. Universities’ reactions to the protests have varied. Some jumped the gun and called the police on their students, while others resorted to dialogue. Politicians have inserted themselves into the battle, taking sides and turning campuses into political arenas.
After weeks of turmoil, one cannot help but assign a failing grade to all the officials handling the issue, from university leaderships and administrators to the White House and Congress.
It all started at Columbia University. Had this issue been handled well from the start at Columbia, things may have turned out differently for everybody, academics say.
Columbia was the first test. The testimony of Columbia’s President Minouche Shafik in front of Congress this month was pregnant with dread and expectation in universities across the country, especially at Columbia.
Columbia’s president took a tough stance against antisemitism but still faced harsh criticism from Republican members of Congress, who said she was not doing enough to protect Jewish students. Some called for her resignation. Shafik focused on fighting antisemitism on campus, but what upset her university’s senate, faculty and students is that she told the committee she would remove professors from their posts. This came after Rep. Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican who was the driving force behind the events that led to the ousting of the presidents at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania earlier this year, asked about statements made by two professors who are accused of expressing support for Hamas.
The reaction to Shafik’s statements in Congress was immediate on the university campus, with students and faculty criticizing her performance, especially her revealing of information about internal investigations into professors even before they had been informed. The president doubled down, either badly advised or acting out of panic. She ordered the police to remove the demonstrators from their encampment the next day and a number of students were suspended.
Even during the Columbia protests against the Vietnam War in 1968, the university waited a week to call in the police after students occupied five buildings, including the president’s office, and one dean was held in his office for a day. This time, the protesters are mostly peaceful and have kept their encampment in the quad. The accusation of widespread antisemitism on campus was denied by the protesters, a Jewish group and the Jewish students among the demonstration, who celebrated the Passover Seder meal together on Columbia’s campus.
After the police crackdown at Columbia and the arrest of 100 people, all hell broke loose and the snowball of protests grew larger, spreading to universities across the country in solidarity with Columbia’s students. Encampments sprung up on campuses, with students calling for a ceasefire and for their universities to divest from businesses linked to Israel or that supply Israel with arms.
But university administrators called the police to stop the protests. The police’s harsh and violent arrests of students and professors at some universities, the Universities of Texas and Emory in particular, went viral on social media. Hundreds of students were suspended or arrested at dozens of universities, including the University of Southern California, Yale, New York University and the University of Texas. The violent arrest of Emory economics professor Caroline Fohlin sent shock waves through campuses and brought the debate about police brutality back to the forefront.
The White House should not view what is happening on university campuses only through the lens of the campaign.
The Columbia University Senate criticized Shafik and said her administration had undermined academic freedom and disregarded the privacy and due process rights of students and faculty members by calling in the police. Faculty members told the press that, had the president taken the advice of her senate and handled the issue calmly with meetings and dialogue with all the stakeholders, from the administration to the faculty and the students, maybe things would have been different for Columbia and the other universities.
Politicians did not fare any better. They used the Columbia crisis to further their political agendas. Members of Congress, mostly Republicans and led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, descended on Columbia. Johnson called on Shafik to resign and suggested deploying the National Guard at the university, whose traditions, he claimed, “are being overtaken right now by radical and extreme ideologies.”
The students’ leadership should also have done a better job at preventing extreme external elements from infiltrating their camp, as the universities claim, and stopping those extremists in their ranks from making inflammatory statements, which the schools and Jewish students considered antisemitic and threatening.
All eyes were on the White House to see how President Joe Biden would handle the issue in an election year and when the young voters’ voice will be critical if he is to win in November. The president condemned the “antisemitic protests,” as well as “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while visiting China, considered the protests to be “a hallmark of American democracy.” He said: “Our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time, and I think that reflects the strength of the country.”
Democrats say these words would have had more impact had the president said them from the White House, instead of a spokeswoman saying that the president “will always support and believes in free speech and nondiscrimination.” But the White House calibrates every word to make sure it does not affect Biden’s election campaign. In its drive not to hurt the president’s chances of reelection, officials are doing exactly what they set out to prevent. Through their caution, they are alienating the very people that Democrats depend on to win elections: liberals, university professors and young voters, including students.
The president could have addressed the nation about this crisis and counseled both sides to calm down, stressing the American principles of freedom of speech and assembly and encouraging dialogue, while at the same time condemning hate speech, intimidation and antisemitism.
Biden will give two commencement speeches next month. The first will be on May 19 at Morehouse College in Georgia, a crucial battleground state, where he will try to appeal to young Black voters. The second will be at the US Military Academy at West Point on May 25. This is a month from now and, by then, it might be too late for the president’s message to reach students.
However, it seems that the president’s campaign is not worried that the university protests will hurt him. Campaign officials reportedly told Politico that these young voters are “a subset of a subset of the electorate, one that’s drawn a disproportionate amount of media coverage compared to its actual political clout.” They cited a Harvard Youth Poll, which showed that just 2 percent of respondents said the “Israel/Palestine” conflict was the issue that concerned them the most.
The White House should not view what is happening on university campuses only through the lens of the campaign. America’s standing in the world as a beacon for freedom, especially the freedoms of speech and assembly, is being tarnished by the images of professors and students being violently arrested and by the prevention of protests in some universities. The sooner the Biden administration addresses this issue, the better for the country and for the president.
• Dr. Amal Mudallali is a consultant on global issues. She is a former Lebanese ambassador to the UN.

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 28, 2024
A high-ranking Hamas official last week announced that the group would dissolve its military wing and turn into a political party if Israel accepted a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders. Khalil Al-Hayya shocked the world with this statement, which comes as Israel is readying to invade Rafah. Israel is not taking this unexpected overture by Hamas seriously and is instead adamant about its move on Rafah. It is time for the US to put pressure on Israel to stop the war and start political negotiations.
There are three stages to ending the war. The first is to end military operations, the second is to have a change in the Israeli position and the third is to enter into political negotiations and devise a plan for the day after. The main hurdle in ending the war is the Israeli position. Israel has still not changed its position. It still refuses to abide by UN resolutions and allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Hence its refusal of any settlement that includes a Palestinian state.
The US should take advantage of the overture by Hamas to end the war. Hamas is highly damaged, according to Israel. It says 20 brigades are dysfunctional and only four remain operational. They are in Rafah. So, Israel can somehow claim victory, save face and announce it has achieved its objective of incapacitating Hamas.
However, Israel should recognize that it cannot totally eliminate Hamas. On the other hand, Israel itself was successful in turning armed factions into political parties. And the Palestine Liberation Organization ended its armed resistance once it was offered a political alternative. The same can be done with Hamas.
But Israel insists on going into Rafah. This will greatly increase the number of Palestinian civilian casualties, as many displaced Gazans are concentrated in Rafah. Tel Aviv is adamant about decapitating the Hamas leadership. However, the Israeli hostages’ lives are at stake. What if Hamas killed the hostages? Would that not be a failure, given that one of the declared objectives of the military campaign was to free the hostages?
The problem in the American position is that, despite its occasional criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, Washington is still unconditionally supporting Israel and supplying it with weapons and money. On top of the staggering human toll, the war has created internal divisions in American society. The authorities are cracking down on peaceful protesters in universities. This is happening when the country is just a few months away from the November presidential election.
If the war continues, it might very much turn into a regional war, especially if, after Rafah, Israel heads to Lebanon. A regional war would have major repercussions on the US. As Gen. David Petraeus, who led the American troop surge in Iraq, once said, what happens in the Middle East does not stay in the Middle East.
The US should explain to the Israeli public that Netanyahu’s maximalist objectives will have a boomerang effect.
It is in America’s interest to grab the opportunity and push Israel to change its position in order to move to a political settlement. Here, President Joe Biden can address the Israeli people by tackling the issue of the hostages. The question that he should ask the Israeli public is: What takes priority, revenge against Hamas or saving the hostages and bringing them home?
Experience has shown that insurgencies cannot be totally eliminated. They reconstitute themselves whenever the grievances that led to their creation are not properly addressed. The US should take the Hamas proposal and present it to the Israeli public as an opportunity to save the hostages and secure Israel. The US can convince the Israeli public by proposing a comprehensive peacekeeping mission that will make sure the country will not be the target of any operation coming out of Gaza.
This is an opportunity the US should not squander. In fact, ending the war, dismantling Hamas’ military wing and starting a political process could be a huge win for the Biden administration. It would be a major foreign policy achievement that boosts Biden in the polls. On the other hand, if the Rafah operation were to be conducted, the opposite would likely happen. Thousands of Palestinian civilians would die, hostages would probably be executed, the war could expand and chaos would spread across the region. If Israel does not stop at Rafah, it will probably continue by attacking Lebanon and attacking Iran. This would be highly destabilizing. It would also be a killer for the Biden administration in the upcoming elections. It is time for the US to tell Israel to stop.
Biden needs to bypass Netanyahu and engage with the Israeli public. Netanyahu has been a burden for the US. He is responsible for the intelligence and security failures of Oct. 7. The US should make that clear to the Israeli public. The US should also explain to them that the Netanyahu government’s maximalist objectives will have a boomerang effect. They will not result in a secure Israel and will only lead to the demise of the hostages. Biden should explain to them that this might lead to a regional war, which Israel will probably lose.
The US should capitalize on the opportunity presented by the willingness of Hamas to dissolve its military wing and embrace a political solution. Wartime presents few windows to make peace. This is one of them and it should not be squandered. It is time to apply pressure on Israel and dissuade it from going into Rafah. Most importantly, Israel should be pressured to change its position regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

Enhanced Iraq-Jordan ties a win-win situation
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 28, 2024
The latest developments in Iraqi-Jordanian relations, including the meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and King Abdullah of Jordan in Munich in February, appear to signal a critical development toward bolstering relations between the two nations.
Against the backdrop of regional challenges, Iraq and Jordan can deepen their ties, particularly in the realms of economic cooperation and development initiatives. By embracing avenues for partnership, such as trade agreements and joint infrastructure projects, these two countries can unlock many opportunities not only for themselves but also for fostering stability and progress in the Middle East. At the heart of this burgeoning relationship lies the potential for economic synergy. Iraq and Jordan boast diverse economies, with complementary strengths, making them natural partners. Iraq, with its abundant oil resources and burgeoning infrastructure needs, stands to benefit from Jordan’s expertise in sectors such as construction and transport.
Conversely, Jordan can tap into Iraq’s vast market potential and consumer base, presenting lucrative opportunities for Jordanian businesses to expand their reach. By fostering greater economic integration, both nations can diversify their economies, reduce dependency on volatile sectors and create a more conducive environment for investment and innovation.
Energy cooperation holds immense potential for Iraq and Jordan, particularly in light of recent developments like last month’s activation of the Jordanian-Iraqi electrical connection. Jordan’s ambitious vision to emerge as a regional energy hub aligns closely with Iraq’s vast energy resources and production capabilities. The activation of the electrical connection signifies a significant step toward realizing this vision, facilitating the exchange of power between the two countries and paving the way for greater energy integration in the region. Leveraging Jordan’s strategic geographic position, the connection enables the kingdom to serve as a conduit for energy transit between Iraq and neighboring Arab states, enhancing energy security and diversification efforts.
The operationalization of the Jordanian-Iraqi electrical connection on March 30 represents a tangible manifestation of the long-standing partnership between the two countries in the energy sector. By strengthening infrastructure linkages and promoting cross-border energy trade, Iraq and Jordan can harness their respective strengths to meet growing energy demands, enhance grid stability and promote sustainable development. Moreover, collaborative ventures in renewable energy, such as solar and wind power projects, can further diversify the energy mix and contribute to environmental sustainability goals.
In addition to economic and energy cooperation, Iraq and Jordan can also join forces to address common security challenges. The volatile geopolitical landscape of the Middle East underscores the importance of collaboration in tackling issues such as terrorism, extremism and cross-border threats. Through enhanced intelligence sharing, joint military exercises and border security initiatives, Iraq and Jordan can strengthen their defenses and mitigate security risks. By fostering a robust security partnership, both nations can contribute to regional stability, safeguarding their citizens and interests against emerging threats.
Security cooperation between Iraq and Jordan is paramount in the face of shared security challenges.
Economically, the two countries possess significant potential for collaboration across various sectors. One area ripe for cooperation is trade and investment. By fostering an environment conducive to cross-border trade, they can capitalize on their geographic proximity and strategic location as gateways to regional markets. Facilitating trade through streamlined customs procedures, infrastructure development and trade promotion initiatives can spur economic growth and job creation on both sides. Moreover, joint ventures in sectors such as energy, agriculture and manufacturing can further enhance economic ties, diversify revenue streams and foster innovation and technology transfer.
Infrastructure development presents another avenue for collaboration. Both Iraq and Jordan grapple with infrastructure deficits in areas such as transport, energy and water resources. By pooling resources and expertise, the two nations can embark on joint infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing connectivity, promoting regional integration and improving the quality of life for their citizens. Projects such as cross-border pipelines, highways and railways can facilitate the movement of goods, people and services, unlocking new trade corridors and stimulating economic activity along the way.
Finally, security cooperation between Iraq and Jordan is paramount in the face of shared security challenges. Both countries confront threats from terrorist organizations, insurgent groups and transnational criminal networks operating in the region. Collaborative efforts in intelligence sharing, counterterrorism operations and border security measures are essential to combat these threats effectively. By coordinating patrols along their shared borders, exchanging information on extremist activities and conducting joint training exercises, Iraq and Jordan can improve their capacity to detect, deter and proactively respond to security threats. Additionally, cooperation in cybersecurity and counter-radicalization initiatives can further bolster their collective resilience against evolving security risks. For instance, cooperation in defense and military affairs can strengthen bilateral ties and contribute to regional stability. Joint military exercises, training programs and defense equipment procurement initiatives can enhance interoperability and readiness, enabling both nations to respond more effectively to emerging security challenges. By fostering a culture of cooperation and coordination in security matters, Iraq and Jordan can build trust and confidence, laying the groundwork for enduring partnerships in safeguarding their shared interests and promoting peace and stability in the region.
In summary, the latest developments between Jordan and Iraq can set the stage for a new chapter of cooperation and partnership between the two nations. Through concerted efforts in economic, security and energy cooperation, they can unlock many opportunities for mutual benefit and regional stability. By harnessing their collective strengths and resources, both countries can also chart a course toward a future characterized by enhanced security and shared prosperity for their citizens.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political scientist.
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