LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 27/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
Psalm 91/11-16: " For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. 91:12 They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone. 91:13 You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot. 91:14 “Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name. 91:15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him. 91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.”
Angels to Guard You: Even though angels are mentioned 273 times in the Bible, very few of us have ever seen one. We learn in Scripture that God has sent angels to protect us from harm. Did you realize your heavenly Father has an entire army of "heavenly hosts" specifically commissioned to care for you? Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are "servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation." That's you, if you're a Christian. Next time you're in need of protection, think of all those heavenly angels coming to your aid. That should calm your fears. Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here; Ever this day, be at my side To light and guard

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
A new reality for Syria/By: Tony Badran/May 26/11
Interference in Syrian affairs/By: Hazem Saghiyeh/May 26/11
Islamists Project Islam's Worst Traits onto Christians/By Raymond Ibrahim/May 26/11
Israel apparently doing nothing to enforce international sanctions on Iran/By Yossi Melman/May 26/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 26/11
Canada Deplores Iran’s Election to the UN Commission on Population and Development/Canadian Government
Gates: Hizbullah Warheads Could Carry Biological or Chemical Agents/Naharnet
Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi : Hizbullah Poses Biggest Challenge to Israeli Army/Naharnet
Bahraini Foreign Minister: Developments in Lebanon Weaken the 2 Countries’ Interests/Naharnet
Geagea: Nakba Day Martyrs Had a Cause, But Were Exploited to Deviate Attention from Syria Unrest/Naharnet
Report: U.S. Warns Lebanon of Isolation Risk/Naharnet
Maronite Patriarch chides Lebanese politicians for impasse/Catholic Culture
Resolution on Syrian crackdown submitted to UN/The Guardian
Qaddafi and rebel commanders agree on truce. NATO carries on war/DEBKAfile
Obama Demands Reforms in Syria During UK Visit/VOA
Turkey Calls for Syrian Reforms on Order of 'Shock Therapy'/NYT
Germany, Britain, France and Portugal seek UN condemnation of Syria/M&C
Senators introduce bill to tighten sanctions on N. Korea, Iran, Syria/Yonhap News
EU powers ask UN Security Council to condemn Syria/Reuters
France, US seek international reaction against Syria: Paris/AFP
US presses Lebanon to distance itself from Syria/LAT
Lebanon's Arabic press digest/Daily Star
March 14 criticize Nasrallah speech/Daily Star
Lebanon’s mufti blasts Aoun for bigotry/Daily Star
Siniora calls for dialogue, says March 8 lacked clear concept/Now Lebanon
Hashem criticizes March 14, Future for Syrian solidarity gathering/Now Lebanon
Samir Franjieh: We are calling on Hezbollah to review its stances/Now Lebanon
Lebanese Security Forces Prevent Minister Nahhas and Technical Team from Dismantling Ogero Station/Naharnet
Suleiman Praises Qabbani’s Keenness on the Safety of the State/Naharnet
March 14: ‘Hizbullah Team’ Lacks Courage to Admit its Failure/Naharnet

Canada Deplores Iran’s Election to the UN Commission on Population and Development
(No. 142 - May 26, 2011 - 11:45 a.m. ET) John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, issued the following statement regarding Iran’s election to the UN Commission on Population and Development: “Canada deplores the election of Iran to a seat on the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.
“At the UN, Canada vocally opposed Iran’s candidacy and worked with our allies and like-minded countries to defeat its candidacy. We acted strongly by calling for a vote and then voting against Iran in this election. “In order to ensure the continued credibility of the Commission on Population and Development and similar UN agencies, Canada would expect that all members live up to the principles on which the UN was founded. “Canada remains extremely troubled by the outrageous human rights abuses committed by Iran against its own citizens, and by Iran’s threats and actions to undermine the safety, security and stability of its neighbours.“The Iranian people, like all peoples, deserve to live in dignity and free of government-sanctioned persecution. “Furthermore, Iran’s neighbours deserve the chance to let freedom, democracy and civil society reign without fear of retribution or interference.
“Canada will persist in urging Iran to improve its human rights record, including in the areas of religious freedom and the rights of women.”

Resolution on Syrian crackdown submitted to UN
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 26 May 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/26/resolution-syrian-crackdown-submitted-un
The draft resolution calls on the UN security council to condemn the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Syria. Photograph: AP
European states have submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations security council condemning Syria for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, diplomats said.
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal circulated the resolution to the 15-state council despite the risk of a veto by Russia.
The draft, obtained by Reuters, "condemns the systematic violation of human rights, including the killings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and torture of peaceful demonstrators, human rights defenders and journalists by the Syrian authorities".
The text, which says Syrian actions may amount to crimes against humanity, demands that Damascus comply with a UN human rights council inquiry and launch its own "credible and impartial investigation" into the violence against protesters. Unlike resolutions passed this year on Libya, the draft does not provide for UN sanctions or military intervention against Syria. But it urges states not to supply arms to Damascus. The text reached council members a day after a Syrian human rights group said government forces had killed at least 1,100 civilians in their two-month campaign to crush anti-government demonstrations. "The situation warrants action by the security council," said Portugal's UN ambassador, José Filipe Moraes Cabral.
But he said it would not be easy to get a resolution on Syria through the council in the face of a potential Russian veto. "I don't want to underestimate the complex issues involved in approving such resolution," he told reporters. UN diplomats said a vote on the resolution was unlikely before next week.
If the council remained silent it "would only embolden the Syrian leaders in the war they are waging on their own people", said Philippe Bolopion, of Human Rights Watch. "A strong message from the council is long overdue, and countries opposing it would have a lot of explaining to do." A previous attempt to push the council into condemning the actions of President Bashar al-Assad's forces failed after Russia, India and China made clear they would oppose it. The Europeans first pushed for a statement, but envoys said a resolution would be easier to get through a divided council. Statements require unanimous approval, while resolutions need only nine yes votes and no vetoes from the five permanent members – the US, Britain, France, Russia and China. Resolutions, unlike statements, are legally binding. Cabral said he was confident of getting nine votes for the resolution, but avoiding a veto could be more challenging.
US officials have made clear they would rather have no council action than a vetoed resolution, envoys said. Washington fears such an outcome would send a signal to Assad that the international community is divided on the issue, which he could interpret as a green light to escalate his crackdown. Last week, President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would not support a council resolution on Syria – a longtime ally of Moscow – if it were similar to a 17 March resolution authorising military intervention in Libya.

Gates: Hizbullah Warheads Could Carry Biological or Chemical Agents
Naharnet Newsdesk/U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that Hizbullah has a sizable arsenal of missiles and rockets which could be tipped with warheads carrying biological or chemical warfare agents. The Shiite group possesses a stockpile that outstrips the number of missiles and rockets held by most nations, Gates said Tuesday after a speech on Pentagon budget issues at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. Hizbullah cruise missiles built to fly up to 65 miles could be used against U.S. naval vessels in the region, according to the Defense Secretary. "We need to have in mind the greatest possible flexibility and versatility for the broadest range of conflict," he said. Gates is due to step down at the end of June. The Obama administration has selected CIA chief Leon Panetta as his replacement. During his speech, Gates urged military and civilian leaders to face up to harsh realities about the future size and role of the armed forces amid a push to contain the country's huge deficit.

Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi : Hizbullah Poses Biggest Challenge to Israeli Army
Naharnet Newsdesk /Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has said that Hizbullah poses the greatest challenge to the Jewish state’s military.
"Despite the criticism against the Second Lebanon War, deterrence has increased in its wake…. Still, if Hizbullah wanted to, it could fire a massive amount of rockets at nearly any point on Israel's map,” Ashkenazi said during a conference at Bar Ilan University on Wednesday. “But it (Hizbullah) could never take Galilee, any more than Hamas could take the Negev,” he said.
Ashkenazi said that the region's agenda is being dictated by two non-Arab countries – Iran and Turkey. “Without Iran's support, Hamas and Hizbullah would not be what they are today, so the Israeli army must be prepared for the Iranian challenge,” he told the conference.

Bahraini Foreign Minister: Developments in Lebanon Weaken the 2 Countries’ Interests
Naharnet Newsdesk 4 hours agoBahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa denied that lifting the National Safety condition has to do with the possibility of resuming flights between the kingdom and Lebanon. “We hope the Lebanese government becomes aware that what is going on in Lebanon doesn’t serve the two countries’ interests,” the Bahraini al-Watan newspaper quoted the Foreign Minister as saying. There are signs that relations with Lebanon are witnessing some improvements. “Countries began lifting the (flight) ban gradually,” al-Khalifa said. He described the travel ban to Bahrain as a procedural measure taken by the country amid the state of national safety. Gulf Air and budget airline Bahrain Air have both called off flights to Lebanon in March "until further notice.” The Gulf kingdom has also advised its citizens not to travel to Lebanon. "Due to threats and interference by terrorists," the Bahraini foreign ministry warned and advised its citizens not to travel to Lebanon “as they might face dangers threatening their safety." Meanwhile, al-Khalifa rejected rumors about the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador to Bahrain, noting that the diplomat decided to go back to Iran after receiving such instructions from Tehran. “Ties with Iran are important to us,” the Minister said.

A new reality for Syria
Tony Badran, May 26, 2011
Now Lebanon/ On Monday, a virulent Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem went on Syrian TV and railed and made threats against the European Union following its sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Mouallem’s frustration was, in a way, understandable, as the ground under the regime he represents is shifting rapidly, and relations with its precious few friends outside Iran have deteriorated dramatically. Perhaps none of these reversals in friendships has been as sudden and curious, but also as telling of the geopolitical flux underway, as the rift with Qatar.
Over the last few years, the Assad regime had cultivated ties with a number of foreign players who were critical in helping it emerge from the international isolation imposed on it in 2005. Undoubtedly, the most important of these have been France, Turkey and Qatar.
It was France, after all, that first led Syria out of its isolation in 2008, when President Nicolas Sarkozy threw Assad a lifeline, inviting him to the Bastille Day celebrations and the EuroMed summit. Now, Paris is leading the European pack in sanctioning the Syrian president and his cronies. Similarly, Turkey under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has invested deeply in Syria, and in Bashar al-Assad personally. The Turks have nevertheless been on the receiving end of Syrian ire for hosting a meeting of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood in April and for planning to host an even broader conference of the Syrian opposition later this month.
But perhaps most intriguing has been the case of Qatar, if only for the abruptness of the transformation in its relations with Damascus. Initially, Qatar’s formidable media tool – Al Jazeera – seemed to avoid in-depth, let alone critical, coverage of the uprising in Syria. This went with Doha’s traditional tailoring of its media coverage to suit its foreign policy priorities and alliances.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Al Jazeera’s editorial attitude shifted. Journalistic sources speak of a directive from the higher-ups that effectively gave the green light to let loose. Al Jazeera’s coverage went beyond airing the graphic videos of Assad’s brutal assault against his people to hosting Syrian human rights activists and dissidents on its widely-viewed shows, at times facing – and shaming – apologists for the regime.
In addition, Al Jazeera hit Assad in a sensitive spot, turning his so-called “resistance” credentials against him, when former Arab Member of the Knesset Azmi Bishara – who until recently was feted in Damascus as a symbol of Arab resistance – criticized the regime, including Assad’s inheritance of power from his father, on the air and ridiculed its narrative depicting the uprising as a foreign conspiracy. As far as Assad is concerned, that Bishara, who resides in Doha, was allowed to use the Al Jazeera platform meant this was official Qatari policy.
But the worst offense from Assad’s perspective was when another Doha resident, and host of an Al Jazeera show, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, put his weight behind the anti-regime protests and also lashed out at Assad for treating Syria like “an estate” that he “inherited from [his] father.”
Qaradawi’s remarks in support of the uprising were a step too far, and the Syrian regime began blaming the sheikh for inciting the protests and sowing sedition in Syria. The episode led to a stormy meeting between Assad and the Qatari prime minister, Hamad bin Jassem, during which Assad reportedly warned that no further meetings would be held until Qatar apologized for Qaradawi’s statements. Moreover, Assad allegedly threatened the Prime Minister that Qatar could lose its $6 billion investments in Syria as a result of Al Jazeera’s policy.
The regime’s focus on Qaradawi may have revealed its deep fears. Aside from the undermining of its “resistance” image and beyond the possible sectarian undertones, Qaradawi’s statements highlighted broader geopolitical concerns. After all, this is the sheikh who only a few months ago presided over a massive rally in Egypt’s Tahrir Square. And so, Qaradawi’s significance is related not only to his influence among the Muslim Brothers, but also to what his posture says about the possible foreign policy orientation of a post-Mubarak Egypt seeking to reassert itself on the Arab scene. If the past tells the Syrian rulers anything, Cairo’s resurgence will come at Damascus’ expense.  It can be argued that this is already playing out in an emerging Qatari-Egyptian rapprochement. For one, even as Assad has suspended Qatar’s $6 billion investment in projects in Syria, Doha’s ambassador to Cairo announced that a Qatari economic delegation will be visiting Egypt on Saturday to sign several agreements that would inject more than $10 billion in Qatari investments.
Moreover, although Hamas has denied it, rumors emerged in late April of Hamas relocating its offices from Damascus to Doha, and of its plans to open a new office in Cairo. This came around the same time that Egypt sponsored the inter-Palestinian reconciliation deal, and it signals a desire by Hamas to expand its options and explore the new opportunities in post-Mubarak Egypt. It also indicates a possible bid by Egypt to lay claim to Hamas – something sought by Turkey as well, which is now also opening its doors to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. The unfolding regional dynamics, and their intersection with its domestic troubles, are doubtless a source of much consternation in Damascus. Almost a year ago, I wrote about Syria “falling back into its historical role as the land between greater powers to its east, north and south.” Now, the natural order of the Levant may be slowly restoring itself.
*Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He tweets @AcrossTheBay.

Siniora calls for dialogue, says March 8 lacked clear concept
May 26, 2011 /Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Thursday that “it has become clear that the forces that united to overthrow the government did not have a clear and realistic concept for the next stage.” Speaking at the televised opening session of the 19th round of the Arab Economic Forum, Siniora called on all Lebanese to “put disputes on the table instead of burdening the people with them.” “Realism and returning together to the state are the only escape for the Lebanese,” he said. He added that “Resistance is a national slogan around which all Lebanese can unite, but weapons are a subject of dispute so long as they are outside the state’s framework and authority.” “What we want is true democratic practice with more disclosure and dialogue and less confrontation.” Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed in January with the March 8 coalition’s backing following the collapse of Saad Hariri’s government due to a long-running dispute over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. March 14 forces subsequently campaigned against Hezbollah’s weapons, saying that their threat had swung the parliamentary majority in favor of Mikati’s nomination. Mikati has not yet formed his cabinet, with talks reportedly being hampered by a dispute between him and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun due to the latter’s cabinet share demands.-NOW Lebanon

Hashem criticizes March 14, Future for Syrian solidarity gathering
May 26, 2011 /Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem said Thursday that March 14 and the Future Movement have “revealed their true face and role in partnering to conspire against Syria, by participating in and contributing to the suspect Sin el-Fil gathering.” “They should beware of this role, which destabilizes and destroys Lebanon before Syria,” he said in a statement. A “solidarity meeting” to support the Syrian people was held on Tuesday in the Beirut suburb of Sin el-Fil, after which a statement was issued highlighting “the need for freedom in Syria.”-NOW Lebanon

Samir Franjieh: We are calling on Hezbollah to review its stances
May 26, 2011 /March 14 General Secretariat Member Samir Franjieh said Thursday that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Wednesday speech “revealed his inability to form the cabinet, especially because formation is impossible without international recognition.”Franjieh told LBC television that March 14 is calling on Hezbollah to “review [its approach], learning from the example of the Hamas Movement, which entered reconciliation.”“The Syrian factor has ended as an influential factor in domestic [Lebanese] politics, which obliges Hezbollah in particular to undertake a review.”Nasrallah on Wednesday urged Syrians to back President Bashar al-Assad and called for rejecting sanctions imposed on Damascus over a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.-NOW Lebanon

Interference in Syrian affairs!
Hazem Saghiyeh, May 24, 2011
From time to time, a Lebanese tune appears. Perhaps it comes from March 8, and perhaps it comes from March 14. The tune is this: We do not interfere in Syria’s affairs.
This kind of stance betrays a consciousness uniting a narrow-minded provincialism (which appears absurd in an intensely interlinked, globalized world) with a laughable self-identification with political authorities and their diplomatic dictionary. Because of this self-identification, the one making this argument – no matter who he is – behaves as if he is a foreign minister, forgetting that he is a human before he is Lebanese; a human who sympathizes with humans in their trials and tragedies.
One could say: We reject interference so that the Syrian regime does not interfere in our affairs, especially since we have already tasted the bitterness of such interference.
However, this argument is extremely foolish, not only because this regime has interfered and interferes without asking for permission, and regardless of the stances that the Lebanese take, but also because Syrian affairs have imposed themselves as a Lebanese issue. This is what we see in Wadi Khaled and likewise in the formation – or rather, non-formation – of Mikati’s cabinet. But we see it too in the attack of the Syrian regime’s henchmen on our liberties and right to free expression. There is no need to mention the clumsy accusations against Lebanese MPs, alleging that they play basic roles in the Syrian uprising, or the laughable claim that the Future Movement (and you having no idea of Future Movement’s combat power!) is shelling Tal Kalakh. Whoever wants to be sure of this tremendous negative influence on our liberties should look at the repression of the Bristol Hotel conference, or before that the repression of the small gathering to light candles on Hamra Street in sympathy with Daraa and its victims. (How can one reconcile the parliamentarism of some Lebanese parties with their performance of such coarse militia roles?) Taken together, these reasons and facts place us – for the thousandth time – face-to-face with the greatest truth: The Lebanese regime cannot be stable, despite its small amount of democracy, without the establishment of another Syrian regime that has at least a minimal amount of democracy. Let us remember that Syria encircles us from the north and east, and that our land crossings to the world, and the world’s crossings to us, are controlled by Syria.  So let us stop this provincial and merciless absurdity at once, not to mention its inflated self-image. Let us stop this and think about achieving two neighboring countries united in mutual respect based on two regimes, each taking its own people seriously, and then – and only then – taking its neighbor into consideration. As for the road to this, it begins with voices raised in solidarity with our Syria neighbors’ pain and yearning for liberty.

Security Forces Prevent Nahhas and Technical Team from Dismantling Ogero Station
Naharnet/ Security forces prevented on Thursday caretaker Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas, several directors at the ministry, and a technical team from entering one of the ministry’s buildings at the Adlieh area. Sources told Naharnet, that the minister and the technical team headed to the building in order to dismantle a mobile phone station belonging to Ogero Telecom. The station, which was operating under a trial period, was presented as a gift from the Chinese government to Ogero a few months ago. Ogero Telecom General Director Abdul Monem Youssef had previously informed Nahhas that he has no right to dismantle the station and transfer it to the MTC mobile phone operating company. Any modification to the donation agreement between Ogero and the Chinese government would require approval by Cabinet, he added. The telecommunications minister disregarded this fact and insisted on dismantling the station, he said. Nahhas headed to the building at Adlieh Thursday morning where he was confronted by the security forces who informed him that he may enter the station, but without the technical team, Youssef clarified. The minister later held a press conference recounting the morning’s developments, describing the practices at the ministry as a “coup”, led by the Internal Security Forces. He urged the army leadership to suppress the ISF coup, saying that the Intelligence Bureau is refusing to implement caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud’s order to pull security forces out of the ministry building.

Report: U.S. Warns Lebanon of Isolation Risk
Naharnet Newsdesk /The U.S. is upping pressure on Lebanon to reduce its ties to Syria and is warning Lebanese officials that they risk being isolated, diplomats and officials told the Lost Angeles Times. A Western diplomat and Lebanese officials said that during his visit to Beirut last week, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman bluntly warned Lebanese officials that the tide had turned against Syria’s Assad regime and urged them to distance themselves from it.
"There is no return back to the bad old days. Syria is going to change," a source with knowledge of the talks told the U.S. newspaper, characterizing Feltman’s message to Lebanon.
Also seeking to influence the cast of a new government in Beirut, Feltman warned that Lebanese leaders "risk being as isolated as Syria," which he characterized as "potentially the North Korea of the Middle East," said the source. A Western diplomat said that the U.S. effort in Lebanon was one prong in a larger campaign to push the Arab world to stand against Syria's crackdown on protesters

March 14: ‘Hizbullah Team’ Lacks Courage to Admit its Failure
Naharnet Newsdesk YesterdayThe March 14 general-secretariat said Wednesday that the delay in the formation of the cabinet confirms that the March 8 forces lack the courage to admit their failure. “The non-formation of the cabinet four months after the nomination (of PM-designate Najib Miqati) is a sign of the Hizbullah team’s failure (to stage) a coup on democracy and constitutional institutions,” said a statement issued after the weekly meeting of the general-secretariat. “This team doesn’t have the courage to admit its failure,” it said, warning the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance against making “adventures that would lead to chaos and destruction of what is left of the state.” The conferees criticized what they said was a “renewed campaign of lies” about Lebanese involvement in Syria’s internal affairs. They warned Syria against using Lebanon to send messages against certain sides. The general-secretariat renewed its demand for the Assad regime to end its bloodbath and meet the aspirations of the people for freedom and democracy. It also condemned attempts by thugs in Lebanon to confront public and personal freedoms and the freedom of expression and belief. On the occasion of Liberation Day, the statement said the March 14 forces take pride at the “national achievement” but reiterated its demand for Lebanon’s “consensual” commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 to protect the country, army and international troops from any attack

Suleiman Praises Qabbani’s Keenness on the Safety of the State
Naharnet Newsdesk /agoPresident Michel Suleiman telephoned Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani on Thursday lauding his “national role” and “keenness on the safety of the state mainly with regards to the preservation of the constitution and institutions.”A statement carried by the state-run National News Agency said that Qabbani, in his turn, stressed to Suleiman that Dar al-Fatwa and Muslims in Lebanon “appreciate and respect” the president for “safeguarding the nation, its people, the state and institutions.”
Qabbani told Suleiman that his “united words” represent all the Lebanese and stressed that all statements holding grudges represent those who make them, in a veiled reference to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun who, according to WikiLeaks cables, has called Sunnis terrorists. The Mufti appreciates the “patience” exercised by the president and his “wisdom” in dealing with the different political parties and problems, the statement added. The phone conversation was held a day after Qabbani slammed Aoun for his alleged remarks and amid efforts by Dar al-Fatwa to file a lawsuit against the FPM chief.

Geagea: Nakba Day Martyrs Had a Cause, But Were Exploited to Deviate Attention from Syria Unrest
Naharnet Newsdesk /agoLebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday said the caretaker cabinet “has a duty, amid what’s happening in the region, to take all measures necessary for the proper implementation of (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701, as we should not expose our borders, youths and Lebanon to danger.”“We respect the martyrs who fell on our northern border while commemorating Nakba Day, because hadn’t they been sincere in defending their cause, they wouldn’t have been ready to die in that way,” Geagea added, calling on “political officials to take all measures necessary to avoid the recurrence of such an incident.” But Geagea noted that “organizing such activities by a certain party, organization or group is aimed at deviating attention from the events happening in Syria and other Arab countries.” Addressing the cabinet formation impasse, Geagea described the delay in forming a new government as a “major misdeed,” stressing that parliament should not commit “another misdeed” by performing cabinet’s role.
“The Constitution does not allow parliament to do that,” Geagea noted. Commenting on calls for forming a technocrat cabinet, the LF leader said: “If the other camp is not capable of forming a political cabinet, let it form a cabinet that addresses people’s concerns.” “Some don’t like the term ‘technocrat’, so let them brand it as they see fit,” Geagea went on to say.
As to the issue of the Syrians fleeing to Lebanon to escape unrest in their country, Geagea stressed that “it is unacceptable for any Lebanese official to smear and tarnish Lebanon’s image in the world and the struggle of its people throughout hundreds of years.” Lebanon should honor its values of “freedom and the preservation of human rights,” said Geagea.
“There are several international treaties and agreements that address the manner in which any state should deal with any refugee, topped by the Geneva Conventions, and Lebanon as a U.N. member state should act according” to these agreements, Geagea noted.

No one can disarm Hezbollah, Nasrallah says
May 25, 2011 /The Daily Star BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed Wednesday that the group would maintain its arsenal and said no one could disarm it.
"Our rockets will remain, and they will stay efficient. No one will be able to take it away," Nasrallah said during a speech to mark the 11th anniversary of Israel's pullout from Lebanon

March 14 criticize Nasrallah speech
By Rima Aboulmona /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: March 14 officials have criticized the speech made by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day.
“His [Nasrallah’s] speech offered nothing new,” Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra told The Daily Star Thursday. He said that Nasrallah’s dismissal of a technocrat Cabinet is proof that a political vacuum suits the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance. “This shows that a [power] vacuum suits them, and shows that it is either their government or no government in Lebanon,” Zahra said. He also said the political vacuum is linked to the uprisings in the Arab world, particularly in neighboring Syria where anti-regime protests entered their second month. Syria and Iran are Hezbollah’s main backers. In his speech Wednesday to mark Liberation Day, Nasrallah dismissed the idea that a government of technocrats was suitable for Lebanon, describing the country as “political to the bone.” The Lebanese Forces, a member of the March 14 coalition, has argued that a Cabinet of technocrats should be formed to end Lebanon’s government crisis. Nasrallah said Hezbollah was eager that the Cabinet be formed as soon as possible but that he was not ready to put pressure on his allies to facilitate the process, a clear reference to MP Michel Aoun, Hezbollah’s main Christian partner. Future Movement MP Ammar Houri, meanwhile, described Nasrallah’s speech as “arrogant,” saying the Hezbollah leader “fell short of acknowledging the failure of the Hezbollah-led coup which led to the toppling of the government.” Lebanon has been under a caretaker government since Jan. 12 when March 8 toppled the national unity government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The Hezbollah-backed alliance nominated Tripoli MP Najib Mikati to replace Hariri.
Mikati, who was appointed prime minister-designate on Jan. 25, has so far failed to produce a Cabinet lineup, after facing hurdles mainly from Aoun who is seeking a majority share.
Kataeb Party MP Elie Marouni, a March 14 official, was even more critical of the speech. He said he believed Nasrallah intended to shift Israel’s attention from the upheaval in Syria and launch war against Lebanon. “Talk about missiles is to give Israel a pretext for its aggression,” Marouni told a local radio station Thursday. He was referring to Nasrallah’s remarks that Hezbollah would carry on in its anti-Israel struggle and that his group would maintain its arsenal, with no one able to disarm it. “Our rockets will remain, and they will stay efficient. No one will be able to take it away,” Nasrallah said.

Lebanon's Arabic press digest
May 26, 2011 /The Daily Star Following are summaries of the main stories of local and Pan-Arab newspapers Thursday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Ash-Sharq al-Awsat: Nasrallah to the Syrians: protect your regime of resistance and give implementation of reforms a chance Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied Wednesday the presence of Hezbollah fighters in Syria, Libya or Iran. Addressing what he called “liars” in the Arab world – satellite television channels, newspapers and websites who write with funding from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Easter Affairs Jeffrey Feltman’s money, Nasrallah said: “Any intervention in any Arab country is not our responsibility,” adding that he would not keep it a secret should his fighters ever set off to a battlefield. In a speech on the occasion of Liberation Day, Nasrallah acknowledged that mistakes had been committed by the Syrians in Lebanon. However, at the same time he expressed his conviction that Syria had made “achievements” in Lebanon. “We should be keen on Syria's security – both in terms of regime and the people – and we should reject any sanctions against it,” Nasrallah said. Syrian President Bashar Assad believes in reforms, Nasrallah said. “He [Assad] is serious and determined and ready to undertake big steps toward reforms but these require calm and responsibility.” He called on the Syrians to protect their country and their regime of resistance and to give the Syrian leadership a chance to implement reforms. Al-Mustaqbal: Obama meets Cameron: We will continue to pressure Assad until his repressive rule ends During a joint news conference in London Wednesday with British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. President Barack Obama emphasized his intention to promote a “program of support” for the Arab Spring at the G-8 summit in Deauville, France, Thursday. At the news conference, which came on the second day of Obama’s visit to the United Kingdom, the U.S. president welcomed the European sanctions against Assad. Demanding freedom, Obama said Washington could no longer be silent about acts of repression and the targeted killings of protesters. Obama said that he, together with his partners, would continue to exert pressure on Assad until his repressive rule ends.
Al-Hayat: Nasrallah denies Hezbollah military presence in Syria Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hit back Wednesday at U.S. President Barack Obama, who accused the party of carrying out political assassination. Nasrallah also slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks made before the U.S. Congress and urged Lebanese to reject any sanctions imposed on Syria, which is defending its regime. He warned against the “highjacking” of Arab revolutions by the U.S. and Israel.
While solidly rejecting a Cabinet of technocrats, Nasrallah stressed that efforts to form a new Lebanese government would continue, adding that he had no intention to pressure anyone “because we respect our allies, and through dialogue and understanding we can achieve results.” This was a clear reference to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, who is Hezbollah’s main Christian ally.

Lebanon’s mufti blasts Aoun for bigotry
May 26, 2011 /The Daily Star BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani has lashed out at Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for his alleged disparaging remarks about President Michel Sleiman and Sunnis. “We deplore such insults to the head of state and Muslims, Sunnis in particular, by some [political] forces, Gen. Michel Aoun on top of them,” Qabbani said Wednesday during a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Othman Mosque and Center in the pre-dominantly Mount Lebanon Druze village of Shanay.
“Aoun’s remarks were an offense to all communities in Lebanon and did not befit a man of politics,” Qabbani said in an apparent response to recently published WikiLeaks cables stating that Aoun had referred to Sunnis as “animals” and “strangers” according to former Justice Minister Charles Rizk during a meeting with then U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman.
Aoun denies these allegations, saying they were fabricated to incite sectarian strife. But Aoun has repeatedly been accused of harboring anti-Sunni sentiment, and the latest WikiLeaks cable seems to confirm what many people already believe about the retired army general. Qabbani said that the insults Aoun has directed at Sleiman have led “smaller” figures to follow suit, and warned: “Let him [Aoun] know that insulting any sect is an offense to all sects in Lebanon.”

Islamists Project Islam's Worst Traits onto Christians
by Raymond Ibrahim
FrontPageMagazine.com
May 25, 2011
http://www.meforum.org/2915/islamists-project-islam-worst-traits-onto
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In recent weeks, we saw how the Muslim world's obsession with gaining converts evinces, in the words of one Muslim intellectual, an "inferiority complex"—a deadly one at that.
Pictures of some of the hundreds of Coptic girls to be abducted without a trace in Egypt
As it happens, inferiority complex is not the only psychological ailment besetting the Muslim world: some Muslims are also projecting the worst traits of Islam onto the beleaguered Christian communities living among them.
Take Egypt's Christian Copts, for example. Much of the recent violence inflicted upon them is based on the constant—but baseless—accusation that the Coptic Church is abducting and tormenting Coptic women who convert to Islam. Amazingly, it is precisely the opposite scenario—Muslims kidnapping Christian women and forcing them to convert to Islam—that is a notorious phenomenon in Egypt.
Indeed, a bipartisan group of eighteen members of the U.S. Congress wrote last year to Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, director of the State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office, documenting how Coptic females are increasingly subject to "fraud, physical and sexual violence, captivity, forced marriage, and exploitation in forced domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation, and financial benefit to the individuals who secure the forced conversion" (see Christian Solidarity International's full report on the abuse of Christian women in Muslim Egypt for complete details).
A well-known psychological phenomenon, "projection" is defined as "the attribution of one's own ideas, feelings, or attitudes to other people." An academic article dealing with violence and projection states, "Projection allows the killer to project his (unacceptable) desire to kill (torture, rape, steal, dominate, etc.) onto some target group or person. This demonizes his target, making it even more acceptable to kill."
Of course, projection has long been a means to demonize Israel. Islamists accuse Israel and the Jews of living for "perpetual war," "legitimizing land theft in the name of God," and "plundering their opponent's property."
In fact, nothing less than Islam's holy law, Sharia law, mandates perpetual war, land grab, and the plundering of non-believers. Muslim scriptures, history, and current events are rife with examples; the overwhelming majority of what constitutes the Muslim world was taken by force. Only recently, popular Muslim preacher Abu Ishaq al-Huweini boasted about how jihad is one of the highlights of Islam, specifically because it allows the plundering of infidels and enslavement of their women and children.
Yet, because Muslims are currently in a weakened position, they see themselves as victims—not just vis-à-vis a stronger Israel, but even small and vulnerable communities like the Copts.
For example, even as the military cooperates with the Islamists to make Coptic life a living hell, the prominent Egyptian cleric Khalid al-Jundi complains that in Egypt "Muslims have fewer rights than Christians, and even do not have the right to worship like Christians," insisting that more mosques need to be built, "for those which have been built are not enough."
In reality, it is Egyptian churches that cannot be built or even repaired—in accordance with Islamic law—without a presidential decree. For example, during Mubarak's final weeks, Egyptian security stormed the St. Mary church in Talbiya, forcing a stop to construction, demolishing stairs and toilets.
Abu Ishaq al-Huweini, who boasts that jihad allows the wholesale plundering of "infidels" and the enslavement of their women and children
And while al-Jundi complains of Christians receiving more rights than Muslims, the fact remains: "More than one million Copts live in the Talbiya area, without a single church to serve them, having to travel for miles every Sunday with their children to the nearest church. The protesters pointed out that the area is full of mosques without licenses, but when it comes to the Copts, they toil for years to obtain a permit for a church, then security comes out with some sort of excuse to stop them from praying there."
More proof was supplied days ago, when thousands of Muslims surrounded a church in Egypt, refusing to allow it to open, insisting that it not have a cross on the dome and threatening to burn it down like other Coptic churches.
Islamist projection was particularly obvious when Muhammad Salim al-Awwa, former secretary-general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, appeared on Al-Jazeera last September and, in a wild tirade, accused the Copts of "stocking arms and ammunitions in their churches and monasteries"—imported from Israel no less, "the heart of the Coptic Cause"—and "preparing to wage war against Muslims." He warned that if nothing is done, the "country will burn," inciting Muslims to "counteract the strength of the [Coptic] Church."
Al-Awwa further charged that Egypt's security forces cannot enter the monasteries to investigate for weapons—an amazing assertion, considering that Coptic monasteries are not only at the mercy of the state, but are easy prey to Islamist and Bedouin attacks, with monks tortured and crucifixes spat upon. When the monks of an ancient desert monastery in Egypt tried to erect a fence to keep the Bedouin raiders out, the military destroyed it and opened fire on the monks, while shouting "Allahu Akbar!"
Because of all these wild projections, the 86-year-old ailing Coptic Pope Shenouda III was portrayed last year as "a U.S. agent, an abductor and torturer of female Muslim converts from Christianity, who was stockpiling weapons in monasteries and churches with a view to waging war against the Muslims and dividing Egypt to create a Coptic State."
Nor have these charges subsided; mere days ago "forty six Islamist lawyers filed a complaint with the Attorney against Pope Shenouda III, demanding the Pope open churches and monasteries for inspection to verify of the existence of weapons, and illegal places for the detention of citizens."
All of these accusations are as inapplicable to the Coptic Church as they are perfectly applicable to Islamists. As we have seen, it is the Islamists who habitually kidnap Christian women and force them to convert to Islam. Equally ludicrous is the charge that the Copts are stockpiling weapons in monasteries and churches.
In a country where Islam reigns supreme, where Sharia (which mandates the subjugation of non-Muslims, a la the Koranic verse 9:29) is part of the Constitution, where Copts have been conditioned over centuries to be content with just being left alone—is it reasonable to believe that these selfsame, down-trodden Christians, who make up 10-15% of the population, are planning a violent takeover of Egypt?
It is easy to see, however, why such charges resonate with Muslims. After all, Islamists are constantly stockpiling weapons, including in mosques, as they prepare to violently seize power across the nations, Egypt being an especially coveted target. Indeed, at one point the aforementioned al-Awwa himself slipped by saying that "Muslims are arrested every day [in Egypt] for extremism and the possession of arms."
Then there is the charge that Copts are trying to divide Egypt to create their own state, which is primarily based on a candid remark made by Coptic Bishop Bishoy months ago: "Muslims are guests in this country, Christians are the original residents. Prior to the Arab invasion of Egypt, which took place in the seventh century, the majority of Egypt's population was Christian." As usual, this otherwise historically accurate observation has enraged Muslims and been cited as "proof" that the Copts seek to divide Egypt and establish their own state.
In fact, it is Muslim minorities who habitually try to secede from non-Muslim countries. Whether by creating their own nations (e.g., Pakistan), or creating enclaves in the West, the notion of separating from the infidel is commanded in the Koran (e.g., 3:28, 4:89, 4:144, 5:54, 6:40, 9:23, and 58:22), codified in the doctrine of al-wala' wa'l bara', and imprinted on the Muslim psyche. Unsurprisingly, then, Muslims have come to project this divisive impulse onto the Copts as well.
There is perhaps no clearer example of Muslim projection than in the field of theology, whereby Muslim doctrines are projected onto Christianity. For example, in the midst of the accusation that the Copts are stockpiling weapons to wage war on Muslims, the Al Azhar Scholars Front, which consists of Al Azhar alumni, declared: "Christianity…is constantly defining its overt and covert policy of eliminating all its rivals or degrading [the followers of other religions] and depriving them of every reason to live so that they will be forced to convert to Christianity."
In fact, this is precisely what Islam does: through jihad, "eliminate all its rivals," or, through the institution of dhimmitude, "degrade [the followers of other religions] and deprive them of every reason to live so that they will be forced to convert to" Islam. This is both historically and doctrinally demonstrable.
Similarly, when Bishop Bishoy declared that Egypt's Christians are reaching the point of martyrdom due to the increase in persecution, this, too, was thoroughly "Islamicized" as a declaration of "war-to-the-death," including by al-Awwa, who, during his Al Jazeera rant, asserted that "Father Bishoy declared that they would reach the point of martyrdom, which can only mean war. He said, 'If you talk about our churches, we will reach the point of martyrdom.' This means war."
Of course, the notion that a martyr is someone who wages and dies in jihad, or "holy war," is intrinsic to Islam (e.g., Koran 9:111). Even the authoritative Hans Wehr Arabic-English Dictionary translates shahid ("martyr") as "one killed in battle with infidels." On the other hand, Christian martyrdom has always meant being persecuted and killed for refusing to recant Christianity—and this is precisely the definition that has for centuries applied to Egypt's Copts, the definition that Bishop Bishoy clearly meant (see this article for more on the important differences between Christian and Muslim notion's of martyrdom).
Islamists regularly abduct, abuse, brainwash, and compel Coptic girls to convert—and now Copts are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Islamists regularly smuggle and stockpile weapons, including in their holy places—and now Copts are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Islamists are constantly either trying to break away or conquer infidel nations—and now Copts are accused of doing the exact same thing;
Islamists seek to eliminate or subjugate the infidel according to the doctrine of jihad and dhimmitude—and now Christians are portrayed as seeking the exact same thing;
Islamic martyrdom means waging and dying in jihad—and now Christian martyrdom is defined as the exact same thing.
Blood-splattered mural at the Coptic church in Egypt where at least 21 Christians were killed from an explosion during last New Year's mass
From here, one can understand the recent lament of Coptic activist Mounir Bishai: "Suddenly we [Copts] have shifted from complaints to self-defense, from demanding [our] rights to [trying to] convince the public that we are not depriving others of their rights... now we are being accused of amassing weapons... How have we suddenly turned from persecuted into persecutors, from the weak [party] into the strong and tyrannical [one], from the attacked [party] into the infamous attackers, and from the poor [party] into the rich exploiters? How did these lies become widespread, without us gaining any ground or improving our situation one whit?"
How, indeed. Quite simply, as all humans are wont to do, some Muslims see themselves—project themselves—in others, no matter how ludicrous or inapplicable the projection is. Indeed, this is not unlike the way Western liberals are constantly projecting their secular/liberal worldview onto Muslims, despite all evidence otherwise.
Postscript: Let it be noted that Islamist projection is not confined to the Middle East, but is present in the United States as well. For example, in their recent—and failed—attempt to compel Everett Community College to disinvite me, CAIR and other Islamists insisted that yours truly was "spreading hate"—thereby projecting the hate that permeates their own scriptures and worldview, onto me and others who merely quote that hate.
**Raymond Ibrahim is associate director of the Middle East Forum

Qaddafi and rebel commanders agree on truce. NATO carries on war
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /May 26, 2011,/Combat in Libya is winding down. debkafile's exclusive military sources report that Muammar Qaddafi and the rebel commanders are close to concluding a series of accords for ending the war after two weeks of secret talks. Meanwhile, as NATO warplanes continued to pound Tripoli Wednesday night, May 25, fighting on the ground receded to small pockets where a few rebel commanders are still holding out. However the primary battlefields of Misrata, Brega and Ajdabia have fallen silent as the ceasefire begins to take hold. The talks led by Qaddafi's chief of intelligence Abdullah Sanousi made enough progress this week for both sides to agree to go public on the call for a ceasefire. This prompted Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi to send a letter to world leaders proposing an immediate UN-monitored ceasefire. He said Qaddafi's regime is ready to enter into unconditional talks with rebels, declare an amnesty for both sides, draft a new constitution and create a different form of government. But first the fighting must stop. He made no mention of any plans for Qaddafi to quit. Our sources report that the text of the prime minister's letter was taken from the draft accords already covered by government and rebel negotiators. In London, US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed after they met Wednesday that Qaddafi should step down and leave Libya but they also admitted that to achieve this objective the fighting would be drawn out. "We may have to be more patient than people would like," said Obama. Neither ruled out a possible ceasefire.
Meanwhile, NATO continues to bomb often empty buildings in Tripoli still hoping to kill the Libyan ruler and so cut the war short with a victory. This week, too, alliance bombers targeted Nalyut 230 kilometers west of Tripoli in the Nafussa Mountains where debkafile reports Berber tribes are fighting a secessionist war against Qaddafi unrelated to the Benghazi revolt.
According to our military sources, the rebel commanders decided to go for a deal with Qaddafi when they saw the Obama administration had no intention of contributing anything further to war and without the US, NATO would never defeat him. Negotiating for terms for ending the war looked like the better option.

Israel apparently doing nothing to enforce international sanctions on Iran
26.05.11/By Yossi Melman/Haaretz
The Ofer Brothers Group may be scurrying into damage control in Israel, Singapore, London and Washington, after the United States blacklisted it for trading with Iran, but Israel seems to be doing nothing to enforce international sanctions on Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who endlessly preaches the need for firm action against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear arms, is not lifting a finger to stop Israeli companies and individuals indirectly trading with Iran.
Nor is he acting against international companies and corporations that operate in Iran, while maintaining huge contracts with Israeli companies - including state bodies like the Electric Corporation and Airport Authority. This incompetence, bordering on grave deficiency, is causing severe damage to the image of both Israel and its prime minister.
The situation raises questions about Israel's intelligence community, headed by the Mossad, which seems oblivious to what is going on in Israel. This community is in charge of thwarting Iran's nuclear plan by any means, including locating companies worldwide that trade with Iran and help its nuclear program.
At least 200 international companies operating in Israel maintain extensive trade ties with Iran. These ties include investments in the Iranian energy industry, which is Iran's main income source and serves to funnel funds to develop missiles, the nuclear program and other unconventional weapons.
In 2008 Israel enacted legislation prohibiting Israeli companies from investing in such corporations. But so far the government has done nothing to enforce it. Even after the Israel Electric Corp. and the Israeli Airports Authority purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment from Danish and German companies operating in Iran, and after Haaretz reported it, Israel still did nothing.
Dr. Uzi Arad, until recently head of the National Security Council, said in response to a query from Haaretz that the issue is not within his jurisdiction and referred us to the Finance Ministry. But the Finance Ministry has also done nothing.
Yesterday it transpired that the company at the center of the storm involving the Ofer Brothers' alleged trade with Iran is the Singapore-based Tanker Pacific, one of the world's largest shipping companies. It operates a fleet of 45 huge tankers that transport crude oil worldwide, with branches in India, Britain and China. Its chairman and CEO is the British Alastair McGregor. Company spokesman Edward Ion refused to give Haaretz details about the company's full ownership and legal structure but confirmed, in a telephone conversation from Singapre, that the company is "owned by the Ofer Brothers Group." Tanker Pacific purchased the tanker Raffles Park in 2000. Until it was sold in September 2010, the tanker carried crude oil under a Liberian flag. Liberia gives ships the right to use its flag to hide their real ownership, as is customary in the shipping business, in exchange for foreign currency.
The tanker was sold for $8.65 million, a relatively low price, in a deal brokered by the Monegasque company Shipping Brokerage Associated. This company located the Coral Light Corporation of Panama company, registered in Panama, which ended up under ownership of the company Crystal Shipping of Sharjah. Sharjah is a small emirate in the Persian Gulf.
Crystal Shipping was the company that bought the Ofer Brothers' tanker. Another company registered in Dubai, called Noah Ship Management, provides managing services for the purchased tanker. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that several companies involved in the deal served as a "front," to hide the fact that Iran's national shipping company - the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines - was behind it. This shipping company appears on the UN Security Council's blacklisted corporations. It is forbidden to trade with these corporations because of their involvement in transporting equipment and materials for Iran's missile and nuclear programs. Dubai is also seen as a major operation base for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which built branches and offices there under fictitious names to hide their identity. In the past, Dubai acted against companies that were discovered to be associated with Iran and its missile and nuclear programs. Spokespeople for the Ofer Brothers Group and Tanker Pacific said yesterday they did not know the sale was carried out for Iran's shipping company, stressing they had acted in good faith. They said it was the broker's - the Monegasque company - responsibility to check the buyer's identity.
The Ofer Brothers are making efforts through their lawyers in Singapore and Washington to meet American officials in a bid to persuade them the administration had made a mistake and to remove them from the black list.


Speech by PM Netanyahu to a Joint Meeting of the U.S. Congress
24 May 2011
Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland.
I am deeply honored by your warm welcome. And I am deeply honored that you have given me the opportunity to address Congress a second time.
Mr. Vice President, do you remember the time we were the new kids in town?
And I do see a lot of old friends here. And I do see a lot of new friends of Israel here. Democrats and Republicans alike.
Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism. Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin Laden. Good riddance!
In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of shifting alliances, Israel is America's unwavering ally. Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.
My friends, you don't need to do nation building in Israel. We're already built. You don't need to export democracy to Israel. We've already got it. You don't need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You've been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel's security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this.
Support for Israel's security is a wise investment in our common future. For an epic battle is now unfolding in the Middle East, between tyranny and freedom. A great convulsion is shaking the earth from the Khyber Pass to the Straits of Gibraltar. The tremors have shattered states and toppled governments. And we can all see that the ground is still shifting. Now this historic moment holds the promise of a new dawn of freedom and opportunity. Millions of young people are determined to change their future. We all look at them. They muster courage. They risk their lives. They demand dignity. They desire liberty.
These extraordinary scenes in Tunis and Cairo, evoke those of Berlin and Prague in 1989. Yet as we share their hopes, but we also must also remember that those hopes could be snuffed out as they were in Tehran in 1979. You remember what happened then. The brief democratic spring in Iran was cut short by a ferocious and unforgiving tyranny. This same tyranny smothered Lebanon's democratic Cedar Revolution, and inflicted on that long-suffering country, the medieval rule of Hizbullah.
So today, the Middle East stands at a fateful crossroads. Like all of you, I pray that the peoples of the region choose the path less travelled, the path of liberty. No one knows what this path consists of better than you. This path is not paved by elections alone. It is paved when governments permit protests in town squares, when limits are placed on the powers of rulers, when judges are beholden to laws and not men, and when human rights cannot be crushed by tribal loyalties or mob rule.
Israel has always embraced this path, in the Middle East has long rejected it. In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted, Israel stands out. It is different.
As the great English writer George Eliot predicted over a century ago, that once established, the Jewish state will "shine like a bright star of freedom amid the despotisms of the East." Well, she was right. We have a free press, independent courts, an open economy, rambunctious parliamentary debates. You think you guys are tough on one another in Congress? Come spend a day in the Knesset. Be my guest.
Courageous Arab protesters, are now struggling to secure these very same rights for their peoples, for their societies. We're proud that over one million Arab citizens of Israel have been enjoying these rights for decades. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel's Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to stop for a second and think about that. Of those 300 million Arabs, less than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they're all citizens of Israel!
This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.
Israel fully supports the desire of Arab peoples in our region to live freely. We long for the day when Israel will be one of many real democracies in the Middle East.
Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very podium, and said that democracy must start to take root in the Arab World. Well, it's begun to take root. This beginning holds the promise of a brilliant future of peace and prosperity. For I believe that a Middle East that is genuinely democratic will be a Middle East truly at peace.
But while we hope and work for the best, we must also recognize that powerful forces oppose this future. They oppose modernity. They oppose democracy. They oppose peace.
Foremost among these forces is Iran. The tyranny in Tehran brutalizes its own people. It supports attacks against American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. It subjugates Lebanon and Gaza. It sponsors terror worldwide.
When I last stood here, I spoke of the dire consequences of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Now time is running out, and the hinge of history may soon turn. For the greatest danger facing humanity could soon be upon us: A militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons.
Militant Islam threatens the world. It threatens Islam. I have no doubt that it will ultimately be defeated. It will eventually succumb to the forces of freedom and progress. But like other fanaticisms that were doomed to fail, militant Islam could exact a horrific price from all of us before its inevitable demise.
A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It would give terrorists a nuclear umbrella. It would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger throughout the world. I want you to understand what this means. They could put the bomb anywhere. They could put it on a missile. It could be on a container ship in a port, or in a suitcase on a subway.
Now the threat to my country cannot be overstated. Those who dismiss it are sticking their heads in the sand. Less than seven decades after six million Jews were murdered, Iran's leaders deny the Holocaust of the Jewish people, while calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Leaders who spew such venom, should be banned from every respectable forum on the planet. But there is something that makes the outrage even greater: The lack of outrage. In much of the international community, the calls for our destruction are met with utter silence. It is even worse because there are many who rush to condemn Israel for defending itself against Iran's terror proxies.
But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You've condemned the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You've passed tough sanctions against Iran. History will salute you America.
President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important.
Yet the Ayatollah regime briefly suspended its nuclear program only once, in 2003, when it feared the possibility of military action. That same year, Muammar Qadaffi gave up his nuclear weapons program, and for the same reason. The more Iran believes that all options are on the table, the less the chance of confrontation. This is why I ask you to continue to send an unequivocal message: That America will never permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
As for Israel, if history has taught the Jewish people anything, it is that we must take calls for our destruction seriously. We are a nation that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. When we say never again, we mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself.
My friends, while Israel will be ever vigilant in its defense, we will never give up on our quest for peace. I guess we'll give it up when we achieve it. Israel wants peace. Israel needs peace. We've achieved historic peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that have held up for decades.
I remember what it was like before we had peace. I was nearly killed in a firefight inside the Suez Canal. I mean that literally. I battled terrorists along both banks of the Jordan River. Too many Israelis have lost loved ones. I know their grief. I lost my brother.
So no one in Israel wants a return to those terrible days. The peace with Egypt and Jordan has long served as an anchor of stability and peace in the heart of the Middle East.
This peace should be bolstered by economic and political support to all those who remain committed to peace.
The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are vital. But they're not enough. We must also find a way to forge a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace. As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to peace.
This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo.
This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish people and the Jewish land.
But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel's subjects nor its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free, viable and independent people in their own state. They should enjoy a prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.
We've already seen the beginnings of what is possible. In the last two years, the Palestinians have begun to build a better life for themselves. Prime Minister Fayad has led this effort. I wish him a speedy recovery from his recent operation.
We've helped the Palestinian economy by removing hundreds of barriers and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. The Palestinian economy is booming. It's growing by more than 10% a year.
Palestinian cities look very different today than they did just a few years ago. They have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks. They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace. Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a realistic possibility.
So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it.
You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about. In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews said yes. The Palestinians said no. In recent years, the Palestinians twice refused generous offers by Israeli Prime Ministers, to establish a Palestinian state on virtually all the territory won by Israel in the Six Day War.
They were simply unwilling to end the conflict. And I regret to say this: They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to name public squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue to perpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by the descendants of Palestinian refugees.
My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I have done. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn't easy for me, and I said: "I will accept a Palestinian state." It is time for President Abbas to stand before his people and say: "I will accept a Jewish state."
Those six words will change history. They will make clear to the Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end. That they are not building a state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it. They will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner for peace. With such a partner, the people of Israel will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise.
This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines, reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and Greater Tel Aviv.
These areas are densely populated but geographically quite small. Under any realistic peace agreement, these areas, as well as other places of critical strategic and national importance, will be incorporated into the final borders of Israel.
The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But we must also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be said publicly by anyone serious about peace. In any peace agreement that ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel's borders. The precise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. We will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967.
We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, independent and prosperous. President Obama rightly referred to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as he referred to the future Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Jews from around the world have a right to immigrate to the Jewish state. Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if they so choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel.
As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of worship for all faiths in the city. Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that this is a difficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with creativity and goodwill a solution can be found.
This is the peace I plan to forge with a Palestinian partner committed to peace. But you know very well, that in the Middle East, the only peace that will hold is a peace you can defend.
So peace must be anchored in security. In recent years, Israel withdrew from South Lebanon and Gaza. But we didn't get peace. Instead, we got 12,000 thousand rockets fired from those areas on our cities, on our children, by Hizbullah and Hamas. The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon failed to prevent the smuggling of this weaponry. The European observers in Gaza evaporated overnight. So if Israel simply walked out of the territories, the flow of weapons into a future Palestinian state would be unchecked. Missiles fired from it could reach virtually every home in Israel in less than a minute. I want you to think about that too. Imagine that right now we all had less than 60 seconds to find shelter from an incoming rocket. Would you live that way? Would anyone live that way? Well, we aren't going to live that way either.
The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of its unique size. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. Mr. Vice President, I'll grant you this. It's bigger than Delaware. It's even bigger than Rhode Island. But that's about it. Israel on the 1967 lines would be half the width of the Washington Beltway.
Now here's a bit of nostalgia. I first came to Washington thirty years ago as a young diplomat. It took me a while, but I finally figured it out: There is an America beyond the Beltway. But Israel on the 1967 lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth.
So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel's security that a Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital that Israel maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow.
And when I say tomorrow, I don't mean some distant time in the future. I mean - tomorrow. Peace can be achieved only around the negotiating table. The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all those who want to see this conflict end.
I appreciate the President's clear position on this issue. Peace cannot be imposed. It must be negotiated. But it can only be negotiated with partners committed to peace.
And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to Israel's destruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter not only calls for the obliteration of Israel, but says 'kill the Jews wherever you find them'. Hamas' leader condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden and praised him as a holy warrior. Now again I want to make this clear. Israel is prepared to sit down today and negotiate peace with the Palestinian Authority. I believe we can fashion a brilliant future of peace for our children. But Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda.
So I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do so.
My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in ancient and modern times alike.
I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And may God forever bless the United States of America.