by Jennifer Bell, Al Arabiya English — In April, Lebanon marked 48 years since the start of its civil war, and – almost five decades on from the deadly conflict – the anniversary brought a painful reminder to the families of the thousands who went missing during the 15-year unrest. There is currently no public database or exact numbers of people who went missing during the civil war between 1975-1990, where an estimated 150,000 people were killed. While the exact figure is unknown, an estimated 17,000 Lebanese were kidnapped or “disappeared” during the unrest. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – which continues to work to find answers for loved ones left behind – told Al Arabiya English that painful answers remain for the families left in limbo.

Lebanon was shattered by its 15-year-long war. It reshaped villages and neighborhoods in which Muslims and Christians had lived side by side for centuries. Hundreds of thousands of people retreated into separate enclaves controlled by sectarian militias. While the war may have ended more than three decades ago, the relatives of the thousands of men and women who remain unaccounted for have been left with lingering loss and uncertainty. Some of those missing are believed to have been arrested or captured by the various forces and militias involved in the civil war – Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian and Israeli, according to a 2013 Amnesty International report. Others may have been killed in the violence or simply disappeared.

Left in limbo

By Ruiqi Chen, Editor at LinkedIn News Can generative artificial intelligence really help workers? A new study from Stanford and MIT has found that AI tools like chatbots can make low-skilled and entry-level employees in fields like customer service up to 14% more productive. The finding challenges the “prevailing” idea that automation will negatively affect […]

by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English — — The leading senators of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to support presidential candidates in Lebanon that will be accountable to the Lebanese people amid reports that France has backed a pro-Hezbollah contender. Lebanon has been without a president since October 2022, following the end of Michel Aoun’s term. Meanwhile, France has taken the lead in trying to mediate a solution to the presidential vacuum and the economic and financial crises in the country. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Sleiman Frangieh, a former minister and MP, backed by Hezbollah and close to the Assad regime, was reportedly endorsed by France in private meetings with Lebanese officials. France last week denied that it had endorsed any specific candidate. Local media reports, including a pro-Hezbollah newspaper, published detailed conversations between French officials and Lebanese lawmakers that suggested Paris was backing Frangieh.

But Senators Bob Menendez and Jim Risch said they were “discouraged” by the ongoing political deadlock, which they said was engineered by Hezbollah and its allies, like Speaker Nabih Berri. In a letter to President Joe Biden, the senators said Hezbollah and its allies were trying to wear down the opposition to its preferred candidate, Frangieh. “We strongly urge your administration to clearly reinforce the urgent need for the formation of a Lebanese government that is committed to governing transparently and addressing the desperate needs of the Lebanese people, rather than enriching cronies or enabling bad actors like Hezbollah to further derail Lebanese democracy,” the letter to Biden read. “Procedural games at the expense of meaningful reforms and good governance only serve to undermine Lebanese and regional stability.”

this is an opinion article it may not represent khazen.org view

By Leila Nicolas Source: Al Mayadeen English — A large number of Christians in Lebanon view the French role in Lebanon negatively and accuse Macron of backing Prime Minister Najib Mikati and “Political Shiism”. Some Christians in Lebanon (Maronites) have always viewed the alliance with France, in particular, and the West, in general, as the guarantor of their existence and influence. However, looking into the historical trend of French policies in Lebanon after the expansion of American influence in the Middle East indicates that Paris does not have a fixed principled vision of its approach toward the country, as it rather seeks to achieve its political, economic, and cultural interests by supporting the stronger party in the existing political equation (regardless of its sect). But while the European country pursues its interests, it takes into account the scope of action according to which the United States allows it to act – which falls under the notion of concerted roles between the two powers, where France takes on the part America itself cannot play. Thus, the timeline of the French policy in Lebanon can be divided into three phases, each of which has its unique characteristics and circumstances.

Phase one: “The political Maronite” and “the compassionate mother”

In 1535, the Ottomans granted France concessions in the Levant, including the right to protect Catholics in Lebanon, which expanded after Louis XIV pledged in 1649 to protect the Catholic Church and all its sects (Maronites). After the French intervened to protect the Christians in Mount Lebanon in the aftermath of the 1860 massacres, the Lebanese Maronite Christians viewed France as a “compassionate mother”. The French support for the Maronites continued during the [French] Mandate period, and France’s contribution was clear in perpetuating the rule of the so-called “Political Maronism” or “Maronite Politics”.

By Wallace Truesdale II, Editor at LinkedIn News — Many of America’s bosses want everyone back in the office, but not for the reasons you may think. Insider points out that some bosses may be more interested in returning to traditional American values rather than seeing boosts in productivity. These traditional values include keeping work […]

BEIRUT, (Xinhua) — Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis have gravely impacted the fashion, jewelry and art industry in the country, said exhibitors at Luxuria, a Beirut luxury fair. “We saw a drop of 50 percent, if not more, on our products in the local market since the beginning of the crisis in 2019,” said Eman Tawil, owner of Diamantia, a fine jewelry store. To bridge the sales gap, Tawil had to extend her business to other regional countries like Egypt, and more established markets like Canada and Gulf countries through her online website.

The fair runs from Friday to Monday at Phoenicia, a five-star hotel in Beirut, showcasing the finest collections of jewelry, art, and fashion with the participation of over 40 exhibitors. “We chose to kick off our fair during Eid al-Fitr, when Lebanon attracts high numbers of foreign visitors, which may help the recovery of the luxury market,” Houssam Mokahal, manager at M&O, the organizer of Luxuria, told Xinhua. “This exhibition is a great occasion for our business to attract clients amid the current crisis,” said Lucie Dekermendjian Helou, owner of Lucie By Luka Jewelry. “We are seeing only some demand on low-budget items nowadays,” she said, adding that only a handful of foreign customers could purchase items priced at over 2,000 U.S. dollars. Helou said she opened a workshop six months ago despite the crisis, in the belief that the market would recover as many Lebanese affected by the financial crisis tend to hold hard currencies or invest in jewelry rather than leaving cash in their current accounts.

By Jessy Bains, Editor at LinkedIn News — Apple is planning to introduce its own journaling app in the next update to its iPhone operating system, The Wall Street Journal reports, part of the tech giant’s push into health and wellness. The app, code-named Jurassic, will let users log their thoughts and activities and could […]

by AFP — BEIRUT: Lebanon has deported dozens of Syrians back to the war-torn country they fled from as anti-Syrian sentiment grows amid a dire economic crisis, security officials and a humanitarian source said Friday. One of the Syrians deported was an army defector, a relative said, warning that “his life is in danger.” “The army has deported more than 50 Syrians from Lebanon in the past two weeks,” an army official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the press. Another security official said dozens of Syrians had been expelled. They said Lebanon’s army intelligence unit had been cracking down on undocumented Syrians, arresting them and handing them to border guards, who then expelled them from Lebanon.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled to neighboring Lebanon after the country’s civil war began in 2011 with the brutal suppression of anti-regime protests. Authorities say Lebanon hosts around two million Syrian refugees, while nearly 830,000 are registered with the United Nations. Lebanese authorities have long pushed for Syrian refugees to return, and have made several repatriation efforts they describe as voluntary, but which rights groups say are forced.

 Fouad Chehab was commander of the Lebanese army after the country gained independence from France. When Lebanon stood on the brink of civil war in 1958, a group of politicians asked him to take over the presidency. He accepted but never intended to see out his term in office. In the end, he stayed on […]

by Najia Houssari (modified slightly article) – arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Suleiman Franjieh, the candidate for the Lebanese presidency backed by Hezbollah and Amal, said on Tuesday that the “game has changed in the region, and this will be reflected in one way or another in Lebanon.” He added that his goal “is not power, but to be a president who leaves his mark.” Lebanon has had no head of state since former President Michel Aoun’s term ended at the end of October. Franjieh made a surprise visit to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi at his headquarters in Bkerke, and made a statement for the first time following Hezbollah’s pledged support for his candidacy.

Franjieh — a friend of President Bashar Assad — described the meeting with Al-Rahi as “extremely frank and clear.” He said that it was necessary to “join the settlement train in the region and not [be] outside it, unlike what happened in 1989-1990 when some [politicians] remained outside the settlement and the Christians paid the price.” Franjieh said that he had visited France and met officials there who had played a mediating role in the Lebanese crisis. He said his visit to France raised a number of questions and gave rise to discussions on several topics. He added: “I was asked about supporting reforms and the relationship with the International Monetary Fund — and they are in contact with Saudi Arabia — and I confirmed that it is obvious that we proceed with reforms, support the agreement with the IMF and any government that has a reform program.” Franjieh went on to say: “I heard the veto on my name from the Lebanese media, but I never heard it from Saudi Arabia or its friends and allies.

“I am ready for dialogue with everyone, and we must join the settlement train in the region. “I call on all politicians to understand how things are moving. We only want the best for the Arabs and Saudi Arabia. “I was born in a pan-Arab home, and I did not have any hostile view of any country that is friendly with Lebanon, especially Saudi Arabia. “We want the best for the Arabs and we do not accept that anyone attacks the Arab countries.” Franjieh said that his relationship with Assad and Hezbollah had been for the benefit of the country.