Source: Bloomberg
Security & Justice
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Hezbollah Faces Internal Criticism Over Missing Fighters and Captured Prisoners
Hezbollah is grappling with increasing internal and external pressure as the fate of over 1,000 of its fighters remains uncertain following the recent war with Israel, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper revealed.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Thursday 18 July 2024 14:59:42
Israel’s Knesset Backs Resolution Opposing Palestinian State
Israel’s parliament passed a resolution expressing formal opposition to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, warning that it could serve as a base for terrorist groups.
“The Knesset is adamantly opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan river,” the legislature said in the resolution, which was adopted at a sitting in Jerusalem early Thursday with backing from 68 of its 120 members.
About three quarters of United Nations members have expressed their support for, or recognition of, Palestinian statehood — with Spain, Norway and Ireland joining the latter category in May. While the prospect of it being able to peacefully co-exist with Israel looks increasingly remote in light of the war raging in the Gaza Strip, some of Israel’s allies say a two-state solution — which has been discussed for decades — is what’s needed to advance peace in the Middle East.
The fighting erupted after the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war is necessary to destroy Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
Truce talks have dragged on for several weeks, and there is no indication if, or when, they may be concluded.
The Knesset’s resolution is a hardening of its previous position agreed earlier this year, which rejected that the notion that a Palestinian state could be declared unilaterally.
In 2009, Netanyahu said he’d accept a demilitarized Palestinian state as long as it recognized Israel.
Negotiations fell apart and, in recent years, Netanyahu and the Israeli public have stepped away from supporting two states, a sentiment that has strengthened since Oct. 7.
Netanyahu is due to visit Washington next week where the Biden administration is expected to urge acceptance of a two-state solution as the way to bring Arab states into the rebuilding of Gaza and normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
