by vaticannews.va — Pope Francis Thursday morning received in audience the Prime Minister of Lebanon, His Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by His Excellency Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. During the cordial talks in the Secretariat of State, the historic relations between the Holy See and Lebanon and the important role played by the Catholic Church in the country were emphasised. Reference was made to the current situation that the Lebanese people are experiencing, especially with regard to the political crisis and socio-economic conditions, and the hope that justice, the necessary reforms and the support of the international community will help to restore the fate of the Country of Cedars. Furthermore, in reiterating the importance of promoting the concept of full citizenship for every Lebanese, the importance of peaceful coexistence was emphasised, so that Lebanon might continue to be a message of peace and fraternity that rises from the Middle East. (Working translation of the original text in Italian)

Exchange of gifts

A traditional exchange of gifts followed the private meeting between the two leaders. Prime Minister Mikati presented the Pope with a tile from the Greek Melkite Church of Saint Saviour in Beirut. One of the oldest churches in the Lebanese capital, Saint Saviour was badly damaged during the 1975 war; but was fully restored and opened again to parishioners in 1973. The Church was severely damaged again by the explosion of 4 August 2020. For his part, Pope Francis offered the Lebanese prime minister a bronze casting of workers in a vineyard, with the inscription, “May the fruit of the vine and of human labour become for us the draught of salvation”; along with a number of documents published during his papacy.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

الحياةُ لِـمَن رامَ المجدَ، وما مجدٌ لا يُكلِّلُه التواضع. تواضعُ المجدِ هو انتصارُ النُبلِ على خُيَلاءِ الغرور. لدينا الغرورُ والخُيَلاءُ ويَنقُصُنا المجدُ والنُبل. ليس المجدُ، بالضرورةِ، انتصارًا سياسيًّا أو عسكريًّا، فَكَم انتصاراتٍ تَسلَّقت على الدِماءِ والفسادِ والحِقدِ والغِشّ ولامسَت خيبةَ الانْكِسار. وكَم انكساراتٍ ظنّها أصحابُها انتصاراتٍ وسَعَوا إلى توريثِها.

هناك مجدُ الأعمالِ الخالدةِ الفِكريّةِ والعِلميّةِ والفنيّة، ومجدُ الكرامةِ والقيمِ والفضائل، ومجدُ الإحساسِ بالنعمةِ والحُبور والسلامِ مع الذاتِ. هناك مجدُ الإيمانِ بالوطنِ والأمّة، ومجدُ التحريرِ والحرّية، هناك مجدُ الانتماءِ إلى دولةِ القانونِ والجبينِ العالي، ومجدُ الانتسابِ إلى التقاليدِ والتُراث، ومجدُ الشعورِ القوميِّ الرحيب. هكذا يرتفعُ الفردُ وتَسْمو الشعوبُ وتَرتقي الأمَم.

وصْمةُ أكثريّةِ أهلِ الشرقِ وعِلّــتُها أنّها غَلَّلَت مجدَها بالقوميّةِ الأحَديّةِ، وأوْثَقت قوميّتَها بالدينِ وجَرّحَت دينَها بالسيف، ولا تَعرِفُ كيف تُعيدُه إلى غِمْدِه. وإذا السيوفُ كانت زينةَ الرجالِ في الجاهليّةِ، فيُفترَضُ أن يكونَ السلامُ أصبحَ زينتَهم بعدَ الإسلام. لكنَّ ما حصلَ هو العكس: ظَلَّ عنترةُ بن شَدّاد “يَذكُرُ والرماحُ نواهلٌ، ويَوَدُّ تقبيلَ السيوفِ لأنّها لـمَعَت”…. وفي أوروبا بَقيت سيوفُ المسيحيّين تَلمعَ في حروبٍ دينيّة ٍكأنْ لم يأْتِ المسيحُ ولم يَفتَدِ، ولا الإنجيلُ دعا إلى أنْ نُحبَّ أعداءَنا. بعد حربِ الثلاثين سنةً (1618/1648)، قال المؤرخ أوليڤيه شالين: “لو جرت حربٌ بين البروتستانت ووثنيّين لكانت أقلَّ عنفًا من تلك التي بين البروتستانت والكاثوليك”.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Hezbollah is experiencing political confusion, writer and political analyst Sana Aljak said on Wednesday, amid reports of a disagreement between the party and the Amal Movement headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on their earlier call to remove Judge Tarek Bitar from his investigation into last year’s Beirut port blast. The government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati has been stuck over how to respond to calls for Bitar’s removal, and the positive atmosphere that prevailed in a meeting on Monday between Berri, Mikati and President Michel Aoun had not materialized into concrete steps by the middle of the week. There were also claims of a dispute between Berri and Hezbollah on the solutions proposed for resuming Cabinet meetings. The two allies have boycotted the meetings since Oct. 12, against the backdrop of the port blast investigation, and the government turmoil has been aggravated by a provocative statement from Information Minister George Kordahi about the war in Yemen.

The meeting on Lebanon’s Independence Day produced, according to the information that followed, “flexibility, positivity, and openness to resolving outstanding problems.” There has been an increasing level of conversation about solutions related to Kordahi. There are also reports that Aoun promised to facilitate understanding on solutions provided that the prime minister, after his Vatican visit to meet Pope Francis, invited a Cabinet session that conveyed to the international community the government’s seriousness about implementing commitments to save Lebanon from collapse. The information circulated said the way out regarding Hezbollah’s demand to suspend Bitar was to limit his powers. Accordingly, out of respect for the provisions of the constitution, Bitar should not be allowed to investigate accused officials, including ministers, MPs and a former prime minister, and try these officials before the Supreme Council for the trial of presidents and ministers.

by Reuters — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president told Gov. Riad Salameh on Wednesday to provide data for a forensic audit of the central bank, saying the restructuring consultancy Alvarez & Marcel had said it did not have information it needed just a month after starting. President Michel Aoun made the comments in a meeting with Salameh […]

BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) by Dalai Saoud — Lebanon’s emerging crisis with Saudi Arabia and some Gulf countries is deepening, with not enough internal efforts being exerted or Arab mediation in sight to help resolve it, diplomatic and political sources said. The Saudi decision Oct. 29 to expel Lebanon’s ambassador and ban its imports stays in place while more punitive measures are feared. The measures came as an angry reaction to critical comments by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi concerning Saudi military intervention in Yemen.

Three Arab Gulf countries — Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates– quickly sided with Riyadh, recalling their ambassadors from Beirut and asking Lebanon’s envoys to leave. The diplomatic row came at the worse time for Lebanon, which has been grappling with one of most terrible economic crises in the world and is counting on its traditional rich Gulf supporters for rescue. By describing Yemen’s seven-year war as “futile” and supporting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in defending themselves against “external aggression,” Kordahi unleashed Saudi growing anger over its onetime protégé. At the heart of the problem is the rising influence and dominance of Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, the heavily armed Hezbollah.

by al-monitor.com — An increasing number of children in Lebanon are not getting enough food as a result of the economic crisis, the United Nations reported today. The UN’s organization for children UNICEF conducted surveys in Lebanon in April and October of this year. In October, 53.4% of families reported that at least one of […]

by alarabiya.net — Tuqa Khalid — Australia designated all of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization”, extending its ban on the group’s military wing to the entire organization. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the Iran-backed Shia group “continues to threaten terrorist attacks and provide support to terrorist organizations.” She added that Hezbollah poses a […]

Lebanon Interior Minister

by AP — Lebanon’s interior minister said Tuesday that every delay in resolving the diplomatic crisis with Gulf nations threatens to affect the lives of more Lebanese already reeling from a massive economic crisis. Bassam Mawlawi said resolving the crisis begins with the resignation of the Cabinet minister whose comments sparked the ire of Saudi Arabia, calling it long overdue. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Saudi Arabia, a traditional ally of Lebanon, withdrew its ambassador and asked the Lebanese envoy to leave last month following televised comments by George Kordahi, Lebanon’s information minister. Kordahi said the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Arab Coalition. Yemen’s war began with the 2014 takeover of Sanaa by the Houthi rebels, who control much of the country’s north. The Arab Coalition entered the war the following year determined to restore the internationally recognized government and oust the rebels.

Kordahi recorded the comments weeks before he was named minister and has refused to apologize or step down despite appeals from many, including the prime minister. Lebanese officials have said his remarks do not represent official government views. “This is taking a long time. It should not take more than a month to be resolved,” Mawlawi told The Associated Press. “He should have resigned before. He should have resigned immediately. … Every delay causes more grave damage to the Lebanese, whether those in Lebanon or in the Gulf.” Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait followed Saudi Arabia and also recalled their ambassadors. The Saudis have also banned Lebanese imports, affecting hundreds of businesses and cutting off hundreds of millions in foreign currency to Lebanon, which is already facing a major economic meltdown.

By Najia Houssari – arabnews.com — BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun has urged the Lebanese not to “drown in despair and to trust their state and take part in the next parliamentary elections.” His remarks came as Lebanon celebrated its 78th Independence Day on Monday with a dull symbolic military parade at the Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, civil society celebrated the day with a powerful and crowded gathering near the Beirut port where the massive blast that shook the city took place on Aug. 4, 2020. In his televised speech on the eve of the Independence Day, Aoun indicated that the way out of the current government crisis was “not that difficult.” Aoun said the solution would be to commit to the constitution, which required “the separation of powers.”

On Sunday night, the Culture Ministry lit up the national museum’s building with the Lebanese flag’s colors. The traditional reception that usually takes place at the presidential palace was not held this year due to the current situation in Lebanon and the circumstances brought about by the coronavirus. The impact of the political and economic crises were clear — whether through the dull presence of President Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Najib Mikati at the military parade, or the sad statements delivered by some politicians and even diplomats. The symbolic civil show that was held near the port reflected people’s suffering and unrest due to the disasters that have hit the Lebanese. The US Embassy in Lebanon simply tweeted a picture featuring a natural scene from a Lebanese region and wrote: “May we celebrate Independence Day in better conditions.”

French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo extended wishes in a tweet “for a Lebanon that is sovereign and united to overcome the challenges it faces today. A nation and a country that stem from the Lebanese’ strong attachment to living together in an open, free and pluralistic country.” Grillo, whose country has led an initiative to solve the Lebanese crisis, said that “France stands beside the Lebanese population that is committed with determination, talent and courage to building the nation they aspire to and deserve.” “The tragic situation in Lebanon requires all authorities, as well as the political class, to assume their responsibilities without further delay,” she said.