LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 26/2011

Bible Quotation for today/The Final Judgment
Matthew 25/31-45: " When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. Then the King will say to the people on his right, Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me. The righteous will then answer him, When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you? The King will reply, I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me! Then he will say to those on his left, Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me. Then they will answer him, When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you? The King will reply, I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Europe can play a vital role in Mideast peace/Haaretz Editorial/ December 25/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 26/11
Christmas Bombs at Churches, Elsewhere Kill 35 in Nigeria
Iran's big navy drill at Hormuz aims to challenge US cyber superiority
Pope urges humility before Xmas 'glitter'
Hundreds pack Bethlehem church for Christmas Day Mass
Syrian Military Aircraft Fly over Bekaa Border
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi : State Should Assign Security Duties to Official Authorities
President Michel Suleiman: Maronite Meeting Laid Basis for Discussing Electoral Law that Respects Taif Accord
President Michel Sleiman's  dialogue bid aims to protect state
A respite from poverty and loneliness on Christmas in Lebanon
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Dec. 25, 2011 December
Hezbollah congratulates Christians on Christmas
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel: Lebanon Should Not Be Affected by Syrian Crisis
Mustaqbal Warns of Syrian Attempts to Spread Unrest to Lebanon
Hariri on Syria Bombing: Syrian Foreign Ministry Statements are Fabricated by it and Lebanese Pawns
Lebanon's FM,Mansour: Lebanon Will Not Take Part in Syria Arab Observer Mission
Abou Faour Says the Cabinet’s Tenure Depends on its Members’ Performance
Canada: Israelis arrested for illegal work
Iran rejects U.S. allegations on al-Qaida operative
Iran opens ten-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf
Syria Opposition Demands Arabs Go to Besieged Homs
Thousands attend funerals for Syria bomb victims
Arabs urged to go to Syrian flashpoints

Christmas and Prayers for the Wicked
By: Elias Bejjani
The most effective, productive and everlasting participation that we can offer on this Holy Christmas Day is our authentic and honest prayers for the repentance and salvation of evildoers. We must pray for those evil and wicked world leaders, rulers, politicians, fundamentalists and outlawed militants whose devastating culture of greed and vicious acts of terrorism are threatening peace and tranquility over four continents.
Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Romans speaks about these evil people and describes thoroughly their thinking and conduct 03/10-18: "As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one.’ 3:13 Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of vipers is under their lips; “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. The way of peace, they haven’t known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
One might wonder why we should pray and particularly on the Christmas Day for those that are creating world-wide havoc, advocate grudges and hatred, classify us as infidels, allege we are their worst enemies, call openly for our death, and proudly legitimize our slaughter?
The answer is very simple. We should pray for them because they are lost, evil, morally sick and need our help. Jesus has already answered this question in Matthew 9/12 & 13: "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. But you go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.".
The faithful and righteous man has an obligation to love his enemies and forgive them as well as to bless those who hate, persecute and curse him. Luke 6:28: "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
The secret and magic formula word in all this holy cycle of forgiveness, meekness, patience, endurance and acceptance of others is LOVE, and as the bible teaches us LOVE is GOD. Proverbs 19:11: "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense".
Apostle Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians explains what love is and what it encompasses: 13/4-13: "Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 1 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love."
If we love those who love us, help those who do not need help, pray for those who are righteous, and feed those who are not hungry, we do nothing different from anybody else including the sinners and wicked. But when we can tame ourselves to love those who hate us and help those who need help, than we are making something different. 1 Samuel 24:17: "You are more righteous than I, he said. You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly."
Almighty God loves us, we His children, and wants us to return back to His heavenly mansions that have been prepared for us. Therefore, He has sent His begotten son to be humiliated, tortured, persecuted and crucified in a bid absolve our original sin and be a role model in love and sacrifice. John15/12 & 13: “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends"
With the Christmas Spirit let all genuinely pray for those of us who are hurt, lonely, feel betrayed and deserted by their beloved ones. Those who are enduring in silence pain, anguish, and are deprived of happiness, warmth and joy on this holy and adorned day.
Let us all take Jesus a role model in our lives. Let us learn from Him the graces of forgiveness, sacrifice, love and the obligation for helping those who need our help and even those who hate and hurt us. Romans 12:20: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
May God Bless you all and shower upon you, your families, friends, and beloved ones all graces of joy, health, love, forgiveness, meekness and hope. 1 Thessalonians 5:15: "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else".
I call on you all to pray for the salvation of our beloved country of Lebanon and ask Almighty God to lead and bless the peace endeavors of righteous politicians and leaders all over the world.
On this Christmas Day may Jesus Christ, God of love, justice and mercy, dwell in your hearts, minds, souls and conscience to purify you and lead your steps into righteousness.
Merry Christmas

Iran's big navy drill at Hormuz aims to challenge US cyber superiority
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/December 25, 2011/Iran launched its 10-day naval drill "Velayati (Supremacy) 90" east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz Saturday, Dec. 24, to show its muscle - first of all to Washington in view of the Obama administration radically changed stance in favor of an attack to destroy the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program.
It is a message that, notwithstanding the proximity of US warships in the area, Tehran can close the Persian Gulf's Strait of Hormuz to the passage of one third of the world's oil consumption; and if attacked, it will not just hit back at US targets in the region and Israel; Saudi Arabia and Jordan are additionally in its sights.
Israel was informed of the US policy reversal on Iran in the one-on-one talk President Barak Obama held with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at Gaylord Hotel, Maryland on Dec. 16.
For Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Barak, the tightening of military coordination on Iran between the US and their government is a signal achievement for which neither has won kudos at home, where a sustained campaign is afoot to end their rule by raising one prickly domestic issue after another.
So far, their political foes have made no headway. The Netanyahu administration is supported by a comfortable parliamentary majority and can safely focus on pressing military and strategic decision-making.
The Iranian war game covers a 2,000-kilometer stretch of sea off the Hormuz Strait, in the northern Indian Ocean and in the Gulf of Aden up to the entrance to the Red Sea.
debkafile's military sources are waiting to see how the Iranian exercise develops in relation to the two US aircraft carriers patrolling the same waters with their strike groups, USS John C. Stennis and USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group.
Since capturing the American RQ-170 stealth drone on Dec. 4, the Iranians appear to be spoiling to show off their cyber and intelligence feats. They claim that with the drone, they have won control of secret US cyber technology and are now capable of overpowering the advanced military and intelligence systems aboard US aircraft carriers, warships and fighter-bomber jets.
Tehran is going all out to demonstrate that the drone was downed by superior intelligence and technology, not as a result of a malfunction, as US officials have claimed. This putative prowess is expected to be tested against a US naval vessel or Air Force plane to show the Americans they are in no condition for attacking Iran's nuclear sites.
For Tehran therefore, it is more important for Velayati 90 to test its intelligence ability against US systems than to conduct operation naval exercises, because without the former, the latter has no chance against US capabilities.
The US high command is certainly well prepared for the challenge, debkafile's military and intelligence sources report. Anyway, Iranian bragging is hard to miss.
On Dec. 19, Iranian intelligence chief Gen. Seyed Hessam Hashemi boasted: "Iran will bring down all aggressive spy drones and aircraft if the US continues espionage operations over Iran."
Iran is playing for very high stakes: A failed performance in the face of US forces in the region will tell the West and its Arab Gulf neighbors that the Islamic extremists of Tehran talk big but can't deliver on their threats.

Pope urges humility before Xmas 'glitter'
December 25, 2011 09:49 AM
Daily Star/Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI hailed Christ's humility, urging the faithful to look beyond the Christmas "glitter" and "enlightened reason", and issued a powerful message for peace."Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God's humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity," the pope told thousands at mass in Saint Peter's basilica. "Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light," the 84-year-old pontiff said on Saturday.
The German pope also called for a strengthening of faith over liberal reason, drawing an analogy with the small doorway of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem intended to defend the church from raiders on horseback. "It seems to me that a deeper truth is revealed here, which should touch our hearts on this holy night: if we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our 'enlightened' reason.
"We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevent us from recognising God's closeness," he said.
He also issued a scathing rebuke against "oppressors" and warmongers around the world saying Christ would be victorious over them.
"At this hour when the world is continually threatened by violence in so many places and in so many different ways, when over and over again there are oppressors' rods and bloodstained cloaks, we cry out to the Lord," he said. "In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors' rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours," he added. The pope also voiced a special prayer for those "in poverty, in suffering, as migrants".
The Catholic Church has also this year again been rocked by revelations about sexual abuse by priests and cover-ups by bishops stretching back decades including in Ireland, the Netherlands and the US. The Vatican has urged all bishops' conferences around the world to come up with guidelines on how to deal with abuses by spring of next year.

Hundreds pack Bethlehem church for Christmas Mass
December 25, 2011/By Dalia Ammari/Daily Star
BETHLEHEM, West Bank: Hundreds of Christian faithful have filled the ancient church that marks Jesus' traditional birthplace for Christmas Mass, undeterred by pouring rain and harsh winds. Worshippers Sunday rushed into the Church of the Nativity under the cover of umbrellas, leaving Manger Square, with its 50-foot-tall (15-meter-tall) Christmas tree, deserted.
Inside the bustling church, supplicants - many of them foreign - raised their voices in prayer, kissed a plaster statue of Baby Jesus and took communion.
On Christmas Eve, the turnout in Bethlehem was at its highest since a violent uprising against Israel drove away tourism more than a decade ago.

Christmas Bombs at Churches, Elsewhere Kill 35 in Nigeria
by Naharnet/Bomb attacks on churches during Christmas services and a suicide blast killed at least 35 people in Nigeria on Sunday amid spiraling violence claimed by Islamists.
A purported spokesman for Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a bombing of the church outside the Nigerian capital and other violence in recent days that has stoked fear and anger in Africa's most populous nation.Authorities have been seemingly unable to stop the attacks despite heavy-handed military crackdowns and claims of arrests of Boko Haram members.
The area around the scene of the blast outside the capital Abuja, which killed at least 30, degenerated into chaos after the explosion, with angry youths starting fires and threatening to attack a nearby police station. Police shot into the air to disperse them and closed a major highway. Emergency officials called for more ambulances as rescuers sought to evacuate the dead and wounded, and calm later returned to the area.
In a swift response, a Vatican spokesman condemned that attack as an act of "blind hatred" which sought "to arouse and feed even more hatred and confusion."
A bomb blast later hit outside an evangelical church hundreds of miles away in the central city of Jos, killing a policeman, according to a spokesman for the governor.
Another explosion targeted a church in the northeastern area of Gadaka on Christmas Eve, but no one was reported killed, while two other blasts hit the northeastern city of Damaturu on Christmas Day, including a suspected suicide bombing. Emergency officials initially said the blast outside Abuja happened in the church, but later said it occurred near it, with the impact felt inside the church, which was also damaged.
Holes could be seen in the wall of the St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla and the roof was badly damaged. What looked to be blood was splashed on the outside of the wall.
A number of cars were destroyed and badly damaged outside from what looked to be a powerful blast. "What we counted, we church officials, was 30 that was dead here," Francis Aniezue, a rector at the church, told Agence France Presse.
Father Christopher Barde told AFP that the explosion happened as the Christmas morning service was ending.
"As I reached the last entrance, some people met me for blessings and suddenly I heard a bomb blast. It was really terrible," he said.
Nigerian police affairs minister Caleb Olubolade visited the scene."This is like an internal war against the country," he said. "So we have to really live up to it and face it squarely."A purported spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the violence. "We are responsible for all the attacks in the past few days, including today's bombing of the church in Madalla," Abul Qaqa told AFP by phone. "We will continue to launch such attacks throughout the north in the next few days."
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks in Nigeria, including the August suicide bombing of U.N. headquarters in Abuja that killed at least 24 people. There have been a number of attacks in Suleija area, also outside Abuja. A string of bomb blasts in the central city of Jos on Christmas Eve 2010 were claimed by Boko Haram.
In recent days in three cities in the northeast, where most of the violence attributed to Boko Haram has occurred, attacks blamed on the sect followed by a heavy military crackdown killed up to 100 people, authorities and a rights group have said.
The chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, was quoted by local media as saying soldiers killed 59 Boko Haram members in Damaturu. Shootouts had taken place on Thursday and Friday.
Others said the total death toll on all sides -- authorities, extremists and civilians -- could be as high as 100.
A purported spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the initial violence in the three northeastern cities, saying they were revenge for a brutal military assault against the sect in 2009.
Violence blamed on the sect has steadily worsened in recent months, with bomb blasts becoming more frequent and increasingly sophisticated and death tolls climbing.
The attacks have continued despite well publicized raids on so-called bomb factories and arrests of a number of alleged Boko Haram members by authorities.
There has been intense speculation over whether Boko Haram has formed links with outside extremist groups, including al-Qaida's north African branch.
The group is believed to have a number of factions with varying aims.It launched an uprising in 2009 that was put down by a brutal military assault which left some 800 dead as well as its mosque and headquarters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri in ruins.It went dormant for about a year before re-emerging in 2010 with a series of assassinations.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Syrian Military Aircraft Fly over Bekaa Border
by Naharnet/Syrian helicopters on Sunday hovered over the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal before returning to the Syrian airspace, Future News TV reported. For its part, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Syrian military aircraft flew over Syria’s border with Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. It did not elaborate. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn warned that al-Qaida members have entered Lebanon through Arsal “under the guise of being members of the Syrian opposition,” noting that he will raise the issue in cabinet. During a meeting at his office with a delegation of high-ranking Lebanese army officers, Ghosn said: “We have information that certain operations are taking place at some illegal border crossings, especially in Arsal, where weapons and some al-Qaida terrorist elements are entering (the country) under the guise of being members of the Syrian opposition.”Since the eruption of the uprising against the Syrian regime on March 15, scores of Syrians have fled to Lebanon through illegal border crossings, while the Syrian authorities have justified their frequent violations of the Lebanese borders under the pretext of pursuing “armed terrorist gangs.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi : State Should Assign Security Duties to Official Authorities
by Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Sunday that the state would bolster trust in the armed forces.
He said during the Christmas mass that was held at Bkirki: “The state should assign all security and defense duties to the political authorities.”
“The state is obligated to guarantee the people’s safety, gather all arms, and limit security duties to the state, which will therefore ensure an arms-free Beirut and arms-free Lebanon,” he noted. On Monday, Beirut MPs had demanded that the Beirut be stripped of all armed groups in order to avert armed clashes that had erupted in the capital in recent years,
In addition, al-Rahi said that the judicial authority should act independently and away from external meddling. It should be fortified and protected in order to ensure that all sides are treated equally, he stressed. “We look forward to justice that can be exacted by brave and honest judges,” said the patriarch. “No one can obstruct justice or politicize it,” he continued. Al-Rahi also hoped that amnesty would be granted to Lebanese citizens who were forced to flee to Israel, saying that the Lebanese should all be reunited. The mass was attended by President Michel Suleiman, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, and other officials.

President Michel Suleiman: Maronite Meeting Laid Basis for Discussing Electoral Law that Respects Taif Accord
by Naharnet /President Michel Suleiman stated on Sunday that a parliamentary electoral law should cater to all insecurities in Lebanon and provide equality between its people.
He said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at Bkirki: “The Maronite meeting laid the basis for discussions on the electoral law that unite all sects and respect the Taif Accord.” The Maronite meeting, which was held earlier in December, reached an agreement to adopt the Orthodox gathering proposals on the electoral law. It suggested that each sect in Lebanon vote for its candidate in the elections based on proportional representation. Suleiman told reporters after his meeting with the patriarch that national dialogue should be resumed in order to tackle a defense strategy for Lebanon and the fate of the Resistance’s possession of arms. On Friday’s twin bombings in Damascus, he stressed: “Lebanon opposes terrorism and I am certain that no Lebanese town would harbor terrorists.” He made his statements in reference to allegations that al-Qaida members had infiltrated the Bekaa town of Arsal. “All sides should cooperate with the security authorities to thwart terrorist activity,” stated the president. He added that he contacted Syrian President Bashar Assad to condole him over the victims of the twin bombings. Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn had warned on Tuesday that al-Qaida members have entered the country through Arsal “under the guise of being members of the Syrian opposition”. The defense minister said that reining in such incidents was “first and foremost the responsibility of the army and security forces,” but added that “at the same time it is a national responsibility that must be shouldered by all Lebanese parties.”The Syrian authorities had accused al-Qaida of being behind the Damascus bombing, saying that members of the organization had entered the country from Lebanon.

Syria Opposition Demands Arabs Go to Besieged Homs
by Naharnet /The opposition Syrian National Council appealed Sunday for the Arab League to immediately send observers to the besieged city of Homs and other hotspots of a bloody crackdown on dissent. "Since early this morning, the (Homs) neighborhood of Baba Amr has been under a tight siege and the threat of military invasion by an estimated 4,000 soldiers," the SNC said in a statement received in Nicosia. "This is in addition to the nonstop bombing of Homs that has been going on for days," said the council, the main umbrella group of opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. The central city of Homs has been a focal point of the Assad government's crackdown on nine months of anti-regime demonstrations, as well as the site of fierce clashes between the army and mutinous soldiers. An advance team of Arab League monitors arrived in Damascus on Thursday to pave the way for an observer mission to oversee a deal to end the crackdown, which the U.N. estimates has killed more than 5,000 people since March. "The Syrian National Council demands that the Arab League observers go to Homs immediately, specifically to the besieged neighborhoods, to fulfill their stated mission," it said in the statement. "In addition, we demand that the observers go to all the hotspots in Syria, or withdraw and conclude their mission if it is not possible for them to do so. "We hold the Arab League and the international community accountable for the massacres and bloodshed committed by the regime in Syria," said the opposition group. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said he expects the Arab League observers to vindicate his government's contention that the violence in the country is the work of "armed terrorists".Western governments and rights watchdogs blame the Assad regime for the bloodshed. Opposition leaders charge that Syria agreed to the mission after weeks of prevarication in a "ploy" to head off a League threat to go to the U.N. Security Council over the crackdown.Source/Agence France Presse.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel: Lebanon Should Not Be Affected by Syrian Crisis
by Naharnet /Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn had informed cabinet that al-Qaida members had infiltrated the Bekaa town of Arsal.
He told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat however that the minister only spoke of information he obtained and not of reports that al-Qaida members had been arrested, especially since the border region are controlled by the Lebanese army. “I don’t know if this information is a result of the coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian armies,” he added.
On whether the unrest in Syria may spill over to Lebanon, Charbel said: “As long as the March 8 and 14 camps remain committed to unity and their country’s safety, then the instability in Syria will not spread to Lebanon.” “We should not be affected by the Syrian developments, whether its regime changes or not,” he stressed.
“We enjoy strong ties with our Syrian brothers and they should remain strong regardless if the regime remains or not,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lebanese source told the denied Ghosn’s claims that al-Qaida had infiltrated Lebanon, saying that no official information on the matter is available.
Ghosn had warned on Tuesday that al-Qaida members have entered the country through Arsal “under the guise of being members of the Syrian opposition”.
The defense minister said that reining in such incidents was “first and foremost the responsibility of the army and security forces,” but added that “at the same time it is a national responsibility that must be shouldered by all Lebanese parties.”The mayor of Arsal Mohammed al-Hujairi criticized the allegations, calling on the government to deploy the Lebanese army and security forces in the town in order to confirm that no extremists had entered the country, reported the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper on Sunday.
He revealed that Arsal authorities will soon hold a meeting with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji in order to tackle this issue.

Europe can play a vital role in Mideast peace
The United States is now the only barrier between Israel and international isolation - which borders on strategic danger.
Haaretz Editorial
After Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sat the Turkish ambassador down on a low chair, it was the turn of the minister, Avigdor Lieberman, to put Europe in its place.
Last week four European members of the UN Security Council condemned the settlement policy, violence against Palestinians and damage to mosques; Israel's Foreign Ministry responded by rebuking Germany, France, Britain and Portugal, declaring them "irrelevant." It did not suffice with that; it also dictated a foreign-affairs agenda to the European Union: Focus on the events in Syria and Iran and leave the Israeli-Palestinian conflict alone.
Europe is obviously preparing anxiously for the next rebuke from Jerusalem, following the protest the EU lodged last week with the Foreign Ministry over the evacuation of Bedouin and the destruction of Palestinian homes in the E1 area between Ma'aleh Adumim and East Jerusalem. We can assume that Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa, which also expressed their displeasure with the settlement policy, Jewish terror and the diplomatic impasse, have been sent to seek foreign-affairs relevance in other quarters.
The condemnation of the three most important countries in Europe, which Israel is wooing in its struggle to stop the Iranian nuclear program, halt the Palestinian-state initiative in the United Nations and upgrade agreements with the EU, represents a suicidal foreign policy.
The peace process has put negotiations on a final-status agreement at the top of the agenda and has become an anchor in fostering relations with the international community. With Israel lacking initiative, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are replaced by sweeping criticism of the occupation's injustices. The United States is now the only barrier between Israel and international isolation - which borders on strategic danger.
Still, there is more than a sliver of truth in the claim that the EU is irrelevant in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As far back as the Venice Declaration in June 1980, nine members of the European Community announced that a solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict was "more necessary and pressing than ever before." They pledged to play a "special role" and to "work in a more concrete way" to end the Israeli occupation in the territories.
Hopefully the Israeli government's bizarre behavior will spur Israel's friends in Europe to fulfill this important obligation and be truly relevant.

Canada: Israelis arrested for illegal work
Ynet Published: 12.25.11,
Border Authorities and detectives at the Halifax District Police in Canada arrested Israeli citizens who illegally worked in mall carts around the country, Canadian network CBC reported on Saturday.
According to a report published on the internet site of Shalom Toronto, dozens of Israelis were arrested during raids in apartments and three malls in the country, and they are scheduled for deportation. They might also be barred from entering the United States in the future.
A Canadian Border Authority spokesperson stated that the arrests were carried out as part of an extensive campaign tracking immigrants and refugees who illegally seek employment in Canada. According to the spokesperson, 10 people were arrested during the latest raid, on suspicion of violating immigration laws.
Watch video warning Israelis from illegally working in US
Two men and two women have already been brought in front of a judge and were accused of working without permit. One of the men demanded to have a translator present during the hearing, while the other man reportedly demanded to meet with another lawyer.
The two women pleaded guilty and were fined $1,000 each. One of the women, who arrived to Canada in August, presented the court with a work permit; however the local police claimed the document were forged.
The police said six other people will be brought in front of a judge, but did not disclose their nationalities. During the hearing, the presiding judge suggested that Jewish organizations and the Israeli Consulate should assist the detainees.
The Shalom Toronto website reported that Canada and the United States approved in the beginning of December a plan to increase security cooperation at border crossings. According to the agreement, the two states will share information on foreign nationals whose visas were denied or were denied entry into one of the countries. As part of the agreement, the countries will notify each other of any Israelis and other foreign nationals who were deported due to illegal employment or other reasons.

Hezbollah congratulates Christians on Christmas
December 25, 2011/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Hezbollah congratulated Christians Sunday on the occasion of Christmas and expressed its hopes that the region can overcome its crises. “Hezbollah congratulates Lebanese Christians in Lebanon and around the world on this occasion ... hoping that our country and region is filled with unity, cooperation and [will] to overcome the series of crises facing the world and especially our region,” the party said in a statement. The statement added that the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ was an occasion to reaffirm the unity of heavenly religions in demanding justice and fairness and standing with the oppressed. On this day, Hezbollah said, the religions also meet to the honest call that Bethlehem remains the birthplace of Jesus. They also need to be united against the “unjust Israeli occupation backed by arrogant powers, especially the United States of Americas” in Jerusalem and Palestine, the statement added.

Dubai agrees to help improve Lebanon's police
December 25, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon has agreed to take advantage of law-enforcement expertise from the Gulf emirate of Dubai. Last week, the head of the head of the Internal Security Forces, Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, was on a visit Dubai, where on one stop he got the opportunity to tour Dubai police’s operation room, considered one of the most advanced in the world.
During his visit in the Gulf emirate, Rifi was briefed on traffic police operations as well as ways to handle emergencies on the streets, according to a statement by the ISF Friday.
Dubai and Lebanon agreed to send an ISF delegation to Dubai to learn measures adopted by Dubai police and that in turn, a delegation of Dubai police would visit Lebanon to pass on their expertise.

Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Dec. 25, 2011 December
25, 2011 10:42 AM The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Sunday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Ash-Shaqr Al-Awsat:
After Syria said Lebanon provided it with information about Al-Qaeda members crossing into Syria, Lebanon's interior minister says nothing official regarding Al-Qaeda presence in Lebanon
There is caution and anticipation in Lebanon amid the explosive situation in Syria and fear of such events having ramifications on Lebanon, particularly after the bloody development in Damascus that targeted two security centers and came hours after the Lebanese government informed the Syrian government that some Al-Qaeda members had crossed into Syria.
Although security sources denied the information, the denial could not eliminate increasing worries that such information might be the start of a security development.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said there was nothing official about the presence of Al-Qaeda members in Lebanon but said he had been notified about it by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn during a Cabinet session. He added that Ghosn had spoken of such information but said no arrests had been made.
Moreover, another high-ranking security official told Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat that there were no Al-Qaeda cells in Lebanon and that the information that terrorists have crossed into Syria is false.
Al-Mustaqbal
Bkirki crowded, Rai holds Christmas Mass
The seat of the Maronite Patriarchate was packed Saturday with people celebrating Christmas. Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai received Christian religious figures Saturday night as well as officials including Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.
Rai also received a series of phone calls, primarily from Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani and Vice President of the Higher Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel Amir Qabalan.
Rai held Mass at midnight in Al-Saydeh Church in Bkirki and another Mass will be held today at 10 p.m.
Al-Hayat
The Orthodox Gathering's proposal for an electoral law: [Does it offer] true representation or [promote] sectarian/racist divisions?
In late September, President Michel Sleiman said that if Lebanon wanted to correct its political path then it should adopt the electoral law drafted by the committee that was headed by former Minister Fouad Boutros, either amended or as is.
When he was honoring Boutros, Sleiman said that reforms included in the proposal would be classed as important if they were adopted along with proportional representation as there is no way to change political life in Lebanon except through the adoption of a new electoral law.
There was no attention placed on Boutros' proposal, but the attention now is on the proposal presented by the Orthodox Gathering which has caused commotion and put Christians in the position of being accused of seeking isolation, division and federalism.
The proposal also brought back to the scene Elie Ferzli. Ferzli denies such accusations and says that those against the proposal are part of a sectarian conflict or seek to preserve their political status.

President Michel Sleiman's  dialogue bid aims to protect state
December 24, 2011/By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman is seeking to resume national dialogue between rival political leaders stalled since last year in an attempt to protect Lebanon from the reverberations of the current popular upheavals in the Arab world, political sources said Friday.
Sleiman chaired a meeting Friday of a preparatory body of the National Dialogue Committee at Baabda Palace that assessed the outcome of the committee’s previous meetings and the current developments that require the relaunching of the committee’s sessions, according to a statement issued by Baabda Palace.
The meeting also examined what other topics the committee could discuss, in addition to a national defense strategy for Lebanon, the statement said. It gave no other details.
The committee, which includes top leaders from the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the opposition March 14 coalition, held its last session of dialogue in November last year, which was boycotted by most March 8 leaders amid divisions over the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The dispute eventually led to the collapse of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Cabinet on Jan. 12. The STL is investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
However, a senior political source said Friday’s meeting at Baabda was designed to reiterate Sleiman’s position that there is no solution for the country’s deepening political divisions between the March 8 and March 14 parties except through dialogue.
“The president has been stressing that there is no escape from national dialogue as the only way to spare Lebanon the repercussions of the fast-moving developments in the region,” the source told The Daily Star.
Asked if Friday’s meeting signaled that the revival of national dialogue was imminent, the source said: “All the parties have said that they support dialogue but they all add the word ‘but.’”
According to the source, the parties from the rival March 8 and March 14 camps have placed conditions on attending the proposed dialogue.
“Some [March 14] parties want Hezbollah’s arms to be the only topic of discussion, while others [Hezbollah and its March 8 allies] demand that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the issue of ‘false witnesses’ [in the STL investigation] be the only themes for debate,” the source said.
Beirut MP Ammar Houri from Hariri’s parliamentary Future bloc reiterated the bloc’s firm position that they will attend the proposed dialogue only if the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s arms is the only topic of discussion.
“The Future bloc’s stance has not changed. Hezbollah’s arms should be the only topic of discussion on the agenda of the dialogue table,” Houri told The Daily Star. He said if any other topics such as the contentions issue of the STL was included on the agenda of dialogue, the Future bloc and its March 14 allies would not attend.
Tyre MP Ali Khreis from Speaker Nabih Berri’s parliamentary bloc reaffirmed the bloc’s support for national dialogue. “Dialogue is the only way to overcome our crises and the door to end all tensions,” he told a rally in the southern village of Burj Rahhal.
Sleiman has recently renewed his call for national dialogue, warning that Lebanon is facing difficulties and challenges as a result of the popular uprisings in the Arab world, and stressing that dialogue is the only way for the country’s salvation.
The president first issued a call for national dialogue aimed eventually at achieving an inter-Lebanese reconciliation in July. He voiced concern over deep political divisions between the March 8 and March 14 parties which are sharply split over three sensitive issues: Hezbollah’s arms, the STL’s funding and the nine-month turmoil in Syria. While Hezbollah and its March 8 allies support the regime in Syria, Hariri and March 14 parties back the anti-regime protesters.
Sleiman has recently consulted with leaders from the March 8 and March 14 camps on the possibility of resuming national dialogue. However, the outcome of consultations reflected continued differences between the two sides over what topics to discuss at the proposed dialogue.
Both sides have apparently set conditions for attending the proposed dialogue. While Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati have generally endorsed Sleiman’s call for national dialogue, Hezbollah has declared that its arms will not be the topic of any dialogue and is ready to discuss a national defense strategy to protect Lebanon against a possible Israeli attack. March 14 leaders, including Hariri, have voiced skepticism about the proposed dialogue, insisting that Hezbollah’s arms should be the only topic for discussion, or else they will not attend.
Berri tried to promote Sleiman’s call for dialogue with the March 14 camp by meeting last month with former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who heads Hariri’s Future bloc. But Berri’s bid hit snags after Siniora signaled that March 14 leaders are unlikely to attend unless measures are taken to implement decisions agreed upon in previous talks.