By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Ministry of Health will launch a “vaccination marathon” next Saturday for people aged over 30 to receive Astrazeneca jabs in health centers across the country. In an effort to promote mass vaccination, Lebanese authorities will declare the province where the largest number of people receive vaccinations as the winner of the marathon. A significant number of Lebanese citizens have refused to receive vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, despite receiving text messages outlining appointment dates. It comes after viral news circulated that purported to show dangerous side effects of the vaccine, including risks of stroke and death. Reports said that a man died three days after receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine. However, Hamad Hasan, Lebanon’s health minister, said that an investigation into the case “is still underway.” Another eight other people were also reported dead after receiving the vaccine, but “whether their deaths were linked to the vaccine” is another question, Hasan added.

A health ministry study estimated that herd immunity reached 42 percent among Lebanese citizens and about 47 percent among Palestinian refugees in the country. “This means that the herd immunity rate is rising to 50 percent, and is expected to reach about 75 percent in August, with large quantities of vaccines expected to be delivered,” said Hasan. Lebanon is due to receive 2 million vaccines in June and July. Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri, head of the National Committee for the Administration of the Coronavirus Vaccine, told Arab News: “A high percentage of those registered to take the vaccine refrained from taking AstraZeneca. As part of our initiatives to encourage people to get vaccinated, we organized an open day enabling citizens to receive the vaccine without booking an appointment.” Bizri said that a new Lebanese study showed an improved presence of antibodies among the population, but that total immunity had not yet been achieved. “The result should not make us feel reassured, as we need to continue to abide by the precautionary measures,” he added. He said: “Lebanon is buying vaccines from the state treasury and will give priority to Pfizer vaccines.”

رغم اهمية وعظمة تحرير الجنوب من الاحتلال الاسرائيلي الذي حققته المقاومة عام ٢٠٠٠ في مثل هذا اليوم، فان اهدافه الوطنية لم تستكمل بنشر الجيش في البقعة المحررة بسبب عدم سماح القرار السياسي بذلك الى حين انتشاره بعد حرب تموز ٢٠٠٦ التي دمرت قرى وبنى تحتية حيوية لبنانية في الجنوب وعلى امتداد مساحة الوطن. وبالتالي لم […]

By Najia Houssari – arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanese political parties have reacted strongly to a Beirut demonstration on Sunday by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), with the speaker of the Lebanese parliament reiterating the need for a national government on Monday. Chants by SSNP members were “a return to the language of the civil war,” the parties said. The demonstration, authorized by the Ministry of Interior, took place in light of a complex and deadly political stalemate. It also came after four days of raising pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad, with Syrian workers and refugees, who were cheering Assad, being attacked by some Lebanese citizens. The SSNP demonstration came within the framework of the commemoration of the liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation. At the forefront of the celebrating parties was Hezbollah, whose supporters spread in the border areas.

Those groups waved Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, and drove their cars and motorbikes to smash an iron gate bearing an Israeli symbol before travelling to the town of Naqoura. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, warned on Monday that “creating crises on purpose, if it continues without a quick initiative to address them, will topple Lebanon.” Berri called on “the loyalists and the opposition to feel the danger of the fateful stage.” He urged political forces and NGOs “to liberate Lebanon from the complex of choosing personal interests over the interests of the homeland by some people, and recognize that our governmental problem is 100 percent internal.” Berri said: “The only solution is to form a national government, without preconditions, with non-partisan competencies, no obstructing third for anyone, according to the French initiative, and its only program of action should be to restore the confidence of the Lebanese and the Arab brothers in Lebanon.”

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Economic and entertainment activities have been restarted in Beirut and other Lebanese tourist centers as the number of COVID-19 cases starts to fall. Some hospitals have announced that they will close their COVID-19 departments, and the Follow-up Committee on Coronavirus Preventive Measures has recommended allowing the reopening of cinemas and theaters, provided they only fill 50 percent of their capacity. Restaurants and cafes have also been allowed to extend their opening hours. Last Saturday, for the first time since Aug. 4, tents were set up in the center of Beirut under the banner “Souk Al-Balad,” an initiative started by Association Ardona, with the support of Beirut markets and in cooperation with Solidere Company to encourage small producers to promote their artisanal or agricultural production.

A women’s marathon was held on Beirut’s waterfront on Sunday, organized by the Beirut Marathon Association. During the coming weeks, downtown Beirut will witness numerous entertainment activities, including a children’s fashion show. Adib Al-Naqeeb, director of the marketing department at Solidere, told Arab News: “Beirut markets are now in a state of stagnation as a result of the lockdowns and the port explosion. Because the time is now more encouraging for people to get out of the lockdown, we wanted to host activities that make people happy and restore hope.” Jean Beiruti, secretary-general of the Tourism and Trade Unions Federation, said: “People decided to resist the crises created by the politicians and to move on with their lives, otherwise they may commit mass suicide.” He said: “People reject the situation in which they found themselves. Therefore, we see that with the relaxation of COVID-19 preventive measures, they have returned to restaurants and cafes and to the nightlife, as far as they can afford to. These tourist institutions have decided to price their dollar exchange rate at 5,000 Lebanese pounds to continue operating even though on the black market the exchange rate is more than double amount.”

by NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said on Saturday that he will not form a Cabinet that simply caters to President Michel Aoun’s wishes. “I will not form a government as the team of the president wants it, or any other political faction,” Hariri told a parliamentary session. The prime minister-designate added that he “will only form the kind of government needed to stop collapse and prevent the big crash that is threatening the Lebanese.” Hariri’s remarks came in response to the president’s letter to parliament calling on MPs search for an alternative to the prime minister-designate. Parliament’s plenary session was broadcast live and lasted for about two hours. Lebanon has been without a government for seven months after Hassan Diab’s resignation as prime minister in the wake of the Beirut port blast which killed more than 200 people last August.

Hariri told parliament that “the truth of what is happening is that the president of the republic tells the deputies in his message: ‘You named a prime minister, I do not want him, and I will not allow him to form a government. Please, get rid of him.’ This is an attempt to absolve the president of the republic from the accusation of obstructing the formation of the government.” The prime minister-designate also said that Aoun sent messages to foreign capitals similar to his letter to parliament “to protect some of those around him and the political team from European sanctions.” He accused Aoun of “wanting us to amend the constitution. If we don’t, he wants to change the constitution in practice without amendment.”

by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English — US and Lebanese officials held the inaugural Defense Resourcing Conference Friday and the State Department announced $120 million in military aid for the Lebanese army. “In this virtual conference, the delegations highlighted the strength of the US-LAF partnership and discussed ways to deepen security cooperation,” the State Department said. Senior Official for Arms Control and International Security C.S. Eliot Kang headed Washington’s delegation while Lebanese army commander General Joseph Aoun led Beirut’s side. The delegations discussed the deteriorating economic, political, and humanitarian conditions affecting the Lebanese people and military, the State Department said. “The US Department of State renewed its commitment to the LAF by announcing $120 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance to Lebanon for fiscal year 2021, subject to Congressional notification procedures, representing a $15 million increase over prior-year levels.”

Discussions also took place on ways the US could provide additional aid to the Lebanese army “as it grapples with the economic crises in Lebanon.” Decades of rampant corruption and mismanagement of public funds, coupled with sectarianism and clientelism, have led to unprecedented economic and social crises in Lebanon. Nationwide anti-government protests in 2019 also rocked the country, forcing the collapse of the government. The political elite was then unable to agree on a new government after Hassan Diab stepped down following the Beirut blast in August 2020.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Scuffles erupted on Thursday between Lebanese and Syrians, who were on their way to cast votes at their embassy in Lebanon in favour of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as polling abroad began before next week’s presidential election. The voters were driving in a convoy of cars and buses, waving Syrian flags and […]

by middle-east-online.com — BEIRUT – Lebanon, whose currency has collapsed amid a deep financial crisis, is launching a scheme to obtain dollars via banks at a rate similar to levels offered by unofficial dealers. President Michel Aoun said in March that banks would be allowed to handle transactions at market rates, but the central bank […]

سجعان قزي وزير سابق

نحن في القرنِ الحادي والعشرين. تَغيّر مفهومُ الانتصارِ والهزيمة. ما عادت السيطرةُ تُبرِّرُ حربًا، ولا التنازلُ يُبرِّرُ سلامًا. لا قيمةَ لأيِّ نضالٍ خارجَ خيرِ الإنسانِ وأمنِه ورفاهيّتِه وتَقدُّمِه الحضاريّ، ولا قيمةَ لأيِّ انتصارٍ على حسابِ الحياةِ والأطفالِ والأخلاقِ والمبادئ. هناك انتصاراتٌ تُشبِه الهزائم، وهزائمُ تحاكي الانتصارات. هي هذه حكايةُ الصراعِ الفِلسطينيِّ/الإسرائيليّ. يَصعُبُ على الشعبِ الفِلسطينيِّ أن يحيا في الهزيمةِ، ويَتعذّرُ على الشعبِ اليهوديِّ أن يحيا في الانتصار. وحدَه الحقُّ، بل وحدَها العدالةُ الإنسانيّةُ تَضمَنُ نهايةَ الحروبِ وبدايةَ السلام بين البشر. الانفجارُ الجديدُ الذي نَشب بين إسرائيل والفِلسطينيّين في 07 أيار 2021 أبعدُ من الخلافِ على الصلاةِ في باحةِ المسجِد الأقصى. إنّه يَحمِل في عمقِه هذه المشاعرَ والمفاهيمَ ونقيضَها.

في التفسيرِ الوطني، انتفاضةُ أورشليم وغزّة فَجّرها غضبٌ فِلسطينيٌّ دفينٌ وقهرٌ عتيقٌ عمرُه سبعون سنة. منذ 1948 والغضبُ والقهرُ يَكبُران ويَتفجَّران بأشكالٍ شتّى في أمكنةٍ مختلِفةٍ، وأحيانًا في غيرِ الساحةِ الصحيحة… لا تستطيعُ إسرائيلُ دعوةَ الفِلسطينيّين إلى مفاوضاتِ سلامٍ فيما تَستكْمِلُ القضاءَ على آخِرِ معالمِ وجودِهم. ما تَركت إسرائيلُ للفِلسطينيّين سوى الحجرِ والبندقيّةِ و”الله أكبر” و”يا يسوعَ المسيح”. احتلّت فِلسطين. توسّعت في الضِفّةِ الغربيّة. ضَمَّت كلَّ أورشليم و”طَوَّبتْها” عاصمةً لها. أَلغَت حلَّ الدولتَين. أعلنت دولةَ إسرائيل يهوديّةً قوميّة. صَنَّفت المواطنين الفِلسطينيّين فيها درجةً ثانية. زادَت عددَ المستوطَناتِ في الضِفّةِ وعَمَّمت عليها القانونَ المدنيَّ الإسرائيليّ. واصَلت تهجيرَ الفِلسطينيّين المقيمين بالألوف. رَفضَت حقَّ عودةِ فِلسطينيّي الشَتات. وتَتحضّرُ لضَمِّ أجزاءَ إضافيّةٍ من الضِفّةِ الغربيّةِ (ثُلُث غَوْرِ الأردن). لو كان الشعبُ الفِلسطينيُّ حَجرًا لتَحوّلَ ثائرًا، فكيف وهو إنسانٌ ثائرٌ أصلًا ويُحسِنُ رميَ الحجَر و… الصاروخ.

by msn.com — Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. general in the Middle East, said he is closely monitoring the conflict between Israel and Hamas in case it widens into Lebanon. McKenzie, who is overseeing the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, also said that he would present a plan in early June to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for how the U.S. would carry out its “over-the-horizon” operations after all 2,500 American troops have left. The U.S. Central Command commander talked with a small group of reporters traveling with him to the Middle East Wednesday about how CENTCOM will soon incorporate Israel into its area of responsibility, assuming the primary U.S. military relationship that for decades has been undertaken by U.S. European Command.

McKenzie said the current conflict between Israel and Hamas has not affected the planned transition in any way, but he said CENTCOM is “closely monitoring” the conflict in case it should widen further. “I think a conflict on that scale isn’t good for any kind of stability anywhere,” said McKenzie. “There is a danger any time that a conflict like this drags on — of it widening — that would be dangerous.” McKenzie said the main concern is that the conflict could widen into neighboring Lebanon, which is home to some Palestinian extremist groups and Hezbollah. “We certainly don’t want that to happen, I’m sure that Israel doesn’t want that to happen,” he added. “That is very concerning,” said McKenzie. “Although it looks like there haven’t been any significant attacks from Lebanon, that could change.” “I hope that the status quo remains and that does not occur,” said McKenzie. “But I think that would be the principal area where it could widen, I hope it doesn’t happen.”

The rockets fired by militants in Lebanon into northern Israel threatened to open up a new front in the fighting. The rocket attack, which drew Israeli artillery fire in response but did not cause any injuries, raised the possibility of dragging Israel into renewed conflict with the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to its north. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war against Israel in 2006, has stayed out of the fighting for now. The rockets were widely believed to be fired by Palestinian factions based in south Lebanon. But they cannot operate without Hezbollah’s tacit consent, and the barrage appears to be carefully calibrated to send a political message that the group, which has tens of thousands of missiles, could join the battle at any time. Israel considers Hezbollah to be its most formidable threat, and has threatened widespread destruction in Lebanon if war were to erupt.