By Nicholas Noe — responsiblestatecraft.org — When President Biden appointed his personal friend and former Obama administration energy coordinator Amos Hochstein as his own energy envoy last summer, it seemed that the decades-old deadlock between Lebanon and Israel over their sea boundary, and potentially tens of billions of dollars in energy resources, might finally be resolved. Hochstein was assumed to be trusted by the Israelis (he was born in Israel and served in the IDF in the early 1990s). He was perceived positively by some of the main Lebanese actors as a foe of a former U.S. envoy, Ambassador Frederic Hof, who had tabled a deal ten years before known as the “Hof Line” boundary that was widely seen in Lebanon as exceptionally unfair. And he came with a deep background in the complexities of the energy sector.

Perhaps most importantly, however, the Biden administration seemed hungry to claim a success in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although a mutually agreed-upon sea boundary between Lebanon and Israel would fall far short of any Abraham Accord-type arrangement, such a deal would represent a UN-recognized boundary between a democratically elected Arab government and Israel. Given the extensive power of the armed Lebanese political party Hezbollah, which Israel considers its most formidable non-state enemy, the removal of a large offshore area from the regular military exchanges between the two sides onshore would also help to structurally diminish the prospects of another devastating war in the Middle East, something the Biden administration very much wants to avoid.

Unfortunately, eight months on, according to several senior Lebanese officials directly involved in the negotiations, the deal that Hochstein unveiled a few weeks ago in Beirut, one which apparently has Israel’s blessing, falls far short of Lebanon’s minimum acceptable position. As a result, the talks are in imminent danger of collapsing, perhaps in the coming weeks. Asked about this prospect, the State Department and U.S. Embassy in Beirut both declined to comment.

by Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari praised Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s efforts to protect his country and restore relations with the Kingdom. It came as the ambassador held meetings throughout the day with Lebanese leaders on Monday, concluding with a grand iftar held at the Saudi Embassy in Beirut for Lebanese national figures, including Mikati and other former prime ministers. The improvement of Saudi diplomatic activity has an important political dimension in Lebanon, with the country preparing for parliamentary elections. Hezbollah’s rush to help its allies win an overwhelming majority in preparation for holding presidential elections in its favor is offset by the opposition currently finding itself fragmented. At the end of October, Saudi Arabia summoned its ambassador to Lebanon for consultations and demanded the departure of the Lebanese ambassador from the Kingdom within 48 hours. The rapid deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two states came against the background of offensive statements made by former Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi about the Kingdom.

Riyadh accused Hezbollah of “controlling the decision (making) of the Lebanese state, turning Lebanon into an arena and launching pad for implementing (the) projects of countries that do not wish the best for Lebanon and its brotherly people, who — from all sects and religions — have historical ties with the Kingdom.” Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, meanwhile, welcomed the return of the Saudi ambassador to Beirut. During his meeting on Monday with the ambassador, he stressed the importance of maintaining the special relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council states, particularly Saudi Arabia.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday he will visit Saudi Arabia during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Al-Jadeed TV reported, in a sign of improving ties with the kingdom following the return of the its ambassador to Beirut after he was withdrawn during a diplomatic rift. Saudi Arabia and […]

By Paul Kirby – bbc.com — Emmanuel Macron has won the first round of the French election and far-right rival Marine Le Pen will fight him for the presidency for a second time. “Make no mistake, nothing is decided,” he told cheering supporters. In the end, he won a convincing first-round victory, but opinion polls suggest the run-off could be much closer. Ms Le Pen called on every non-Macron voter to join her and “put France back in order”. With 97% of results counted, Emmanuel Macron had 27.35% of the vote, Marine Le Pen 23.97% and Jean-Luc Mélenchon 21.7%.

Kingmaker on far left

Veteran far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon polled even better than five years ago and now has the unlikely role of kingmaker. “You must not give a single vote to Marine Le Pen,” he warned his supporters, but unlike other candidates, he pointedly did not back the president instead. Later in the evening, Mélenchon activists gathered outside his campaign HQ thinking he might even come second, but it was not to be. Making up more than a fifth of the vote, Mélenchon voters could decide the final round of this election, yet many of them may just sit the second round out and abstain.

By NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Officials from charitable organizations and imams at mosques in Lebanon have raised concerns about their reduced ability during Ramadan this year to help the growing number of people going hungry, as a result of the effects of the financial crisis in the country. They said costs have risen sharply in the past year, fewer people are volunteering and donations from “capable people” are in decline because the “conditions of benefactors have changed.” The economic crisis has created harsh living conditions for many, as a result of which the number of families in need of assistance has increased. Meanwhile, the amount of donations received during Ramadan by charities and other groups that provide assistance is expected to fall, which will affect their ability to provide daily iftar meals for the growing numbers of people who are struggling.

FASTFACT

Faten Mneimneh from the Islamic Charitable Guidance and Reform Association told Arab News that because of the financial constraints and fewer volunteers the quality of iftar meals will be lower and less varied during Ramadan this year, at a time when growing numbers of people are going hungry. Such a meal traditionally includes a fattoush salad and a plate of rice and meat. Last year the cost of a single meal was about 50,000-60,000 Lebanese pounds, which is about $33-$40 based on the official exchange rate of about 1,500 pounds to the dollar.

by gulf-times.com — Lebanon won’t be able to deliver many if any reforms sought by the IMF as conditions for a funding deal before an election in May, two lawmakers said, meaning months could go by without action as that vote may well be followed by political limbo. The International Monetary Fund announced the draft funding deal on Thursday, but said its board would not decide on whether to approve it until Beirut enacts a batch of reforms including measures which ruling factions have long failed to deliver. An IMF agreement is widely seen as the only way for Lebanon to start emerging from what the World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst ever financial collapses — and the deepest crisis since Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.

Many analysts have expressed renewed doubt that Lebanon’s fractious parties can deliver reforms they have long been unwilling or unable to agree to, even as Lebanese leaders have hailed the IMF deal and vowed to make it succeed. The parliamentary election is seen as another complicating factor. After the vote, a new government must be formed, a process that usually takes many months during which the outgoing cabinet acts as caretaker and cannot take major decisions. Nicolas Nahhas, a lawmaker and adviser to Prime Minister Najib Mikati, noted there were only a few weeks left before the election and MPs were busy campaigning. “This wasn’t meant to be done in a few weeks and nobody serious would say it should be done in that time frame,” he said of the reforms. “The agreement is a kind of benchmark of what should come after elections. So, after elections, parliament will start studying quickly these actions and then we shall see how we go forward.”

By Mona Alami — arabnews.com — RIYADH: The recent Lebanese court order restricting lenders from moving money abroad is the fallout of deep rot long building in the banking sector. This comes on the back of the country’s mounting debt amidst the deteriorating economic condition – the crisis that many blame on Lebanon’s corrupt political class and the government which defaulted on repaying the debts to banks. On March 24, Lebanese judge Ghada Aoun ordered the Lebanese customs administration to prevent six Lebanese banks from sending money abroad. The banks targeted were Bank of Beirut, Bank Audi, Creditbank, Bankmed, SGBL and Blom Bank. “Lebanese banks are technically broke, but until this moment, they aren’t legally so,” said economist Roy Badaro in an interview with Arab News. He explained that the word ‘illiquid’ might be more appropriate as no one really knows about banks’ possible undeclared assets. In addition, no Lebanese bank has so far officially declared bankruptcy. Badaro said banks are in denial of their situation. “Their main issue is that they were lured by the unhealthy profits offered by the government to finance its debt. Meanwhile, they abstained from financing the economy,” he pointed out.

Liquidity crisis

As the Lebanese government is embroiled in massive corruption charges, the state has amassed over a $90 billion debt that it is no more capable of paying, which in turn affected the liquidity of banks. The banking sector responded to the asset freeze with a two-day strike on March 21 and 22. This might be repeated if more pressure is placed on the banking sector, warned a banking source on condition of anonymity Judge Aoun is a close ally of President Michel Aoun, who is demanding a forensic audit of the Lebanese central bank, in the wake of Lebanon’s default on over a $90 billion debt as a fallout of state mismanagement and corruption. Ironically, Aoun’s party has been in power for the past decade and exclusively handled the electricity portfolio. Experts believe the latter accounts for over 40 percent of the debt. Industry observers tracking the development fear the banking sector’s insolvency crisis that has been triggered by the state’s failure to meet its debt payments is expected to worsen with time. The sector will further unravel, with banks having to shut down possibly.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov  — vaticannews.com — The Maronite Bishops of Lebanon have “expressed their joy at the news of Pope Francis’ visit to Lebanon,” reported Fides on Wednesday. Following an encounter in the Lebanese city of Bkerke, home of the Patriarchal See of the Maronite Catholic Church, the bishops issued a statement, “asking God to bless the Pope, and to carry out all Pope Francis’ desires for the good of Lebanon and of all Lebanese people.” Following the Pope’s recent meeting with the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, in the Vatican on 22 March, the Lebanese President tweeted regarding a possibile trip of the Holy Father to his nation in June.

Widely-anticipated papal visit

Subsequently, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, issued a brief statement to journalists, noting the papal visit “is a possibility that is being studied.” As the country has suffered years of political, economic and social crises, the Pope has expressed numerous times in recent years his intention to visit. In the Middle East, Lebanon is the country with the greatest percentage of Christians, constituting more than a third of the population. The nation also has the greatest number of Catholics in the region, belonging primarily to the Maronite Catholic rite, along with other Eastern Catholic rites.

by aljazeera.com — Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it was sending an ambassador to Lebanon for the first time since a row broke out with Beirut last year over the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. The foreign ministry “announces the return of the ambassador … to the sisterly Republic of Lebanon”, read a statement carried by state media. The ambassador is returning in response to calls by “moderate” Lebanese political forces, the foreign ministry said, and after remarks by Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding “ending all political, military and security activities” that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

A diplomatic crisis erupted last October after then-Information Minister George Kordahi was quoted criticising Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen, where a grinding war has produced what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Kordahi, who has since resigned, said in a television interview that the Houthi rebels fighting Yemen’s internationally-recognised government were “defending themselves … against an external aggression”. He said “homes, villages, funerals and weddings were being bombed” by the Saudi-led coalition, and called the war in Yemen “futile”. The Houthis are backed by Saudi’s regional rival Iran, which has significant influence in Lebanon, where it backs the powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. In response to Kordahi’s remarks, Riyadh recalled its ambassador and ordered Lebanon’s envoy to leave the kingdom. Riyadh’s Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, expelling Lebanese envoys.

Kuwait also announced Thursday the return of its ambassador to Beirut following the Saudi decision. The diplomatic row, which has also seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods, was a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

إلى إيران كلُّ الاحترامِ وأقصى التوقِ إلى أفضلِ العَلاقات معها. لكنَّ إيران حَجَبت الكثيرَ الذي يَجمعُنا بها وأبْرزَت القليلَ الذي يُفرِّقُنا. توَغُّلُ القوميّةِ الفارسيّةِ في الحالةِ اللبنانيّةِ عَكّرَ الفكرةَ اللبنانيّةَ التاريخيّةَ وكَدّرَ انتماءَ لبنان إلى المحيطِ العربيّ. وما خَلا بيئةَ حزبِ الله اللصيقةَ، لا يَشعرُ اللبنانيّون بهذه القوميّةِ في وِجدانهم ولا يَعتبرون أنّها كانت يومًا جُزءًا من لبنانيّتِهم رغمَ جَلالِ بلادِ فارس عبرَ التاريخ. هذا الشعورُ شَملَ “الشيعيّةَ اللبنانيّةَ” التي كانت تُشكِّلُ أكثريّةَ المجتمعِ الشيعيِّ لغايةِ سيطرةِ حزبِ الله عليه، إذ نَقل علاقةَ الشيعةِ بإيرانِ من التواصلِ الدينيِّ الحرّ إلى التبعيّةِ القوميّةِ. إلا أنَّ لبنانَ انْتقلَ منذ عقودٍ من صراعِ العقائدِ القوميّةِ إلى صراعِ العصبيّاتِ المذهبيّة. وإذ أساءَ الصراعُ الأوّلُ إلى الولاءِ للبنان، فإنّه، بالمقابل، أغنى الحياةَ الفكريّةَ والثقافيّة. أما الصراعُ الثاني فأفْسدَ لبنانَ وأدْرجَه على لائحةِ التَصَحُّرِ الفكريِّ والثقافيِّ والانهيارِ الاقتصاديّ.

صِرنا، نحن اللبنانيّين، نَنتمي إلى قوميّاتِ الحنين. قوميّاتُنا المبتكَرةُ التي شاغَبَت على دولةِ القانون في لبنان، أمْسَت في مُتحَفِ الوِجدان. ومع ذلك لا نزالُ نُناغيها كأنّها حديثةُ الولادةِ وبدونِ أن نَتأكّدَ ما إذا كانت من لحمِنا ودمِنا أو اعتَنقناها بالتبنّي أو فُرِضَت علينا بالتسوياتِ أو صادَرتْنا بالشَهيّةِ والشُبهةِ. نُناظِرُ من أجل فينيقيا، والفينيقيّون غافِلون عنا. نقاتلُ من أجل العروبة، والعربُ ساهون عنّا. ونَهدِمُ وطنَنا من أجلِ بلادِ فارس والفُرسُ يَستخْدِمونَنا. و”اللبنانيّةُ” التي جَمعَتنا ووَحّدَتنا، وسَـمَت بنا إلى العُلى، وحَجَزت لنا مَقعدًا بين الأمم، نَتنكّرُ لها. نَتعلّقُ بالغائبين ونُهمِلُ لبنانَ الموجودَ أمامَ أعينِنا. نُحوِّل عمدًا البديهيّاتِ اللبنانيّةَ إشكاليّاتٍ. وعِوضَ أن نُضيفَ كلَّ سنةٍ حَجرًا على بُنيانِ لبنانَ لنُدعِّمَ أركانَه، نروح نَقتلِعُ كلَّ يومٍ حَجرًا منه حتى يَتهدَّم.