Al-Rahi warns Lebanon over ‘axis of degradation’

Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi waves. (File/AFP)
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi waves. (File/AFP)
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Updated 09 February 2025
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Al-Rahi warns Lebanon over ‘axis of degradation’

Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi waves. (File/AFP)
  • Maronite patriarch urges new govt to ‘preserve unity, end stagnation’

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi has warned that the country risks “slipping into degradation,” and called on its leaders to end what he described as national “stagnation.”

Delivering a sermon in St. George Cathedral in Beirut on Sunday to celebrate the Feast of St. Maron, the patron saint of the Maronites, Al-Rahi urged Lebanon’s political leaders and state institutions to “end the procrastination, the undermining of the judiciary, the loss of sovereignty and dignity, and the violation of the constitution.”

He added: “People are suffocating from the stagnation. Offer them a solution.”

Al-Rahi warned that “the real danger facing Lebanon is slipping into the axis of degradation.

“As much as we must remain neutral in a positive way, we must align ourselves with the axis of civilization, renaissance, and progress.”

He said: “Neutrality is more about preserving Lebanon’s unity than ensuring its survival. Neutrality equals internal security and foreign defense.”

Al-Rahi’s comments came a day after Lebanon formed a new government led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a move that ended a two-year political deadlock in the country.

Salam and President Joseph Aoun attended the celebrations on Sunday along with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Following the Cabinet formation, Aoun said that the government did not include ministers affiliated with political parties.

“They will be cohesive, united, and work as a strong team to undoubtedly serve all Lebanese because their goal is only the interest of Lebanon,” he said.

Aoun said that the formation of the “reform and rescue government was based on competence, experience, specialization, and the ministers’ good reputation.” 

The US, France, and the UK congratulated Lebanon on the government formation.

French President Emmanuel Macron personally phoned Aoun and Salam, and called on the new prime minister to carry out essential economic reforms.

According to the Elysee’s statement, Macron emphasized that “it is important that all parties collaborate to implement the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.”

He also called on Israel to continue its withdrawal.

Macron affirmed France’s willingness to help establish stability on the Syrian–Lebanese borders.

The Lebanese government will carry out its duties until May 2026 when the next parliamentary elections will be held.

Most of the ministers appointed in Salam’s Cabinet graduated from the American University of Beirut, Universite Saint-Joseph de Beirut, or other leading American and French universities.

Both ministers proposed by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement are doctors at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.

Dr. Rakan Nassereddine, a specialist in arterial surgery, is the new minister of health.

The 36-year-old surgeon, who is from Hermel, is the youngest minister in the government.

Dr. Mohammed Haidar, director of nuclear medicine at AUBMC, has been appointed minister of labor.

The government is set to hold a meeting next Tuesday to form the committee tasked with drafting the ministerial statement.

The US Embassy in Lebanon welcomed the formation of the government.

In a statement, it urged “the drafting of a ministerial declaration that would assist Lebanon overcome the crisis and chart a course toward achieving its objectives.”

In reviewing the biographies of the appointed ministers, it is evident that a primary characteristic of the prevailing government is the expertise in the portfolios assigned to them.

The Foreign Minister, Youssef Raji, has held various diplomatic positions in Jordan, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and at the UN in Geneva, Belgium, and Washington.

Yassine Jaber, the minister of finance, is a former minister and MP representing the Shiite seat in the Nabatieh and southern regions.

He has been active in the construction sector in Lebanon since 1978 and continues to be involved to this day.

Gen. Michel Menassa, minister of defense, is a retired officer who served for several decades in the Lebanese Army.

He later became the Inspector General at the Ministry of Defense before his retirement.

Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar, a retired brigadier-general in the Internal Security Forces, was formerly head of the Internal Security Forces Institute.

Minister of Economy Amer Bizat is an investment expert who previously held the position of global head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income at BlackRock.

He also held portfolio management roles at UBS and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

Joseph Saddi, the energy minister, previously worked at Strategy&.


UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building
Updated 20 March 2025
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UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

UK demands transparent probe of Israel strike on Gaza UN building

LONDON: Britain’s foreign minister David Lammy on Wednesday called for a transparent investigation into an Israeli air strike on a UN building in Gaza.
“Appalled a UN compound in Gaza was hit this morning,” Lammy wrote on X. “This incident must be investigated transparently and those responsible held to account.”


Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem

Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
Updated 19 March 2025
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Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem

Thousands join anti-government rally in Jerusalem
  • Relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza joined the rally outside the parliament in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Thousands of protesters massed in Jerusalem on Wednesday, chanting slogans against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who they accuse of undermining democracy and resuming Gaza strikes without regard for hostages.
Protesters shouted “You are the head, and you’re to blame” as well as “The blood is on your hands” at the demonstration near parliament, the largest to take place in Jerusalem for months.
The demonstration was organized by anti-Netanyahu opposition groups protesting the premier’s move to sack Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.
Following Netanyahu’s announcement to dismiss Bar, which threatened to trigger political crisis, Israel launched a wave of overnight strikes on Gaza, by far the deadliest since the start of a fragile ceasefire in January.
Relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza joined the rally outside the parliament in Jerusalem.
“We hope all people from Israel will join this movement and we will not stop until we restore democracy and freedom for the hostages,” said Zeev Berar, 68, from Tel Aviv.
“At this rate we won’t have a country left, not a democratic one. It will be a dictatorship,” student Roni Sharon, 18, told AFP.
Some in the crowd brandished banners reading: “We are all hostages.”
Relatives of the hostages in the Gaza Strip have said the decision to resume strikes could “sacrifice” their loved ones.
Of the 251 hostages seized during the unprecedented October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
The demonstrators in Jerusalem also accuse Netanyahu of using the war against Hamas to distract from domestic political concerns.
The prime minister has so far refused to set up a national commission of inquiry into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, while his bid to dismiss Bar threatened to plunge Israel back into deep political crisis.
Netanyahu’s government recently also moved to oust Israel’s attorney general and government judiciary adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, a fierce defendant of the judiciary’s independence.
A 2023 judicial reform project aimed at curbing the supreme court’s powers fractured the country and sparked major protests — before coming to an abrupt halt with Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“The last two years have been a nightmare for us,” said Yael Baron, 55, from the city of Modiin.
“I feel as though we are in the 99th minute and time is running out to save the country, the oxygen is running out for us, like democracy is running out.”


Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting

Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
Updated 19 March 2025
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Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting

Hostages’ kin are terrified they won’t return after Israel resumes fighting
  • Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza
  • About two dozen of them are believed to be alive

TEL AVIV: When a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began two months ago, Herut Nimrodi knew it would take time before her son was released from captivity in Gaza. The 20-year-old soldier was meant to be part of the second phase of the deal winding down the war.

But with Israel’s surprise bombardment of Gaza, she fears he might not come home at all.

“I really wanted to believe that there is still a chance to reach a second stage without renewing this war. But it feels like my building of hope has collapsed, and I have no idea what to do next,” Nimrodi said.

Nearly 60 families have relatives still held in Gaza. About two dozen hostages are believed to be alive.

During the ceasefire’s first phase, which began in January, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But since that phase ended early this month, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward.

Israel’s renewed airstrikes threaten to end the fragile deal.

Nimrodi’s son, Tamir, was abducted from his army base when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage. She’s had no sign of life. He hasn’t been declared dead by Israel.

“It’s so sad that this is the only solution that they could find,” she said, lamenting the government’s decision.

The strikes have Tuesday killed hundreds and shattered a relative calm — along with hopes of ending the war that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians.

The return to fighting could deepen the painful debate in Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu and his hard-line governing partners believe renewing the war will put pressure on Hamas to free them and move Israel closer to its goal of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.

But most hostage families, and large parts of the Israeli public, believe such goals are unrealistic. They say time is running out, particularly after the recent releases of emaciated-looking hostages who later described harsh conditions in captivity.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire and exposing the hostages “to an unknown fate.”

Families of hostages called on supporters to protest with them outside Israel’s parliament.

Some families who already know their relatives in Gaza are dead called the government’s decision unacceptable.

“This is not only a disaster in every way, shape or form on how the hostages keep suffering, being chained to walls, starved, abused, but also the death toll that keeps rising on the Gazan side,” Udi Goren said.

His cousin Tal Haimi was killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken into Gaza. Goren said the international community must pressure Hamas, Israel and the mediators — the US, Egypt and Qatar — to end the war.

“Returning to fighting? Did you listen to a word of what we, the returnees released in the last deal, have been saying to you?” former hostage Omer Wenkert wrote on Instagram.

Romi Gonen, among the first hostages to be freed in the ceasefire’s first phase, said she would never forget what it felt like in captivity to hear the bombs after previous ceasefire talks collapsed and realize she wouldn’t be freed any time soon.

“I beg you, the people of Israel, we must continue to fight for them,” she said on Instagram.

Sylvia Cunio, whose two sons are held hostage, accused Israel’s leaders of not having a heart.

“It isn’t right to continue the fighting. I want my children back home already. If he wants to kill me, the prime minister, let him do that already because I won’t get through this,” she said on local radio.

Nimrodi said she’s worried the airstrikes might not only harm her son and the other hostages but also make their living conditions worse.

The last time she saw Tamir, he was a funny teenager who rode horses and loved learning about geology and astronomy, she said. The two had a similar humor and used to talk about everything.

While she’s terrified of what’s to come, she said she won’t stop fighting to see him again.

“Please, keep strong, survive,” she said, addressing him. “So there’s a chance for us to meet once more.”


Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year
Updated 19 March 2025
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Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year

Iran celebrates ancient fire festival ahead of Persian New Year
  • To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky

TEHRAN: Iran’s fire festival offers a great opportunity to show the world what life looks like in the country.

Known as “Chaharshanbe Souri” in Farsi, the festival comes in the hours just before the Wednesday before Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year.

To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky. 

Others jump over and around fires, chanting “My yellow is yours, your red is mine,” invoking the replacement of ills with warmth and energy.

The fire festival also features an Iranian version of trick-or-treating, with people going door to door and being given a holiday mix of nuts and berries, as well as buckets of water. It’s not necessarily an easy assignment though. 

Here in Iran, some people remain sensitive about having their photograph taken, particularly women who aren’t wearing Iran’s mandatory headscarf.

The joy sometimes overcomes safety concerns as smoke fills the air and fireworks explode at random overhead. There are injuries every year and sometimes deaths. Being careful is necessary as a piece of a burning firecracker might injure one in a crowd. 

Nowruz marks the start of spring. Soon, leaves will sprout again.


US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
Updated 19 March 2025
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US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
  • A State Department spokesperson said the proposal would also “see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander”
  • “The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast“

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Wednesday there was still a bridge proposal that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
A State Department spokesperson said the proposal would also “see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander. It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.”
“The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in Gaza as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health workers. A day earlier, more than 400 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
This shattered nearly two months of relative calm since a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
The State Department spokesperson said the proposal was “compelling” and that Washington stood with Israel.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 49,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while also triggering accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The assault has internally displaced nearly Gaza’s entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.