Hope and Strength Alive in Lebanon

I recently had the great and humbling experience of being in the company of three great people who are leading advocates of human rights and accountability in Lebanon. In addition, I also had the privilege of meeting advocates for change in Lebanon from a number of US NGOs and Lebanese Civil Society Organizations. All were women, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who has worked in the community. While men have their contributions and qualities, it is largely women that we rely on to hold together the fabric of our initiatives, keep our perspectives balanced, and create innovative strategies for overcoming obstacles.

The occasion of their visit to the US, organized by the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), was to meet with officials in the US Congress and Administration and reinforce their messages of what must be/can be done in Lebanon to bring about more accountability in government. At one point when I remarked that Lebanon was on the edge of catastrophic failure, I was reminded that we shouldn’t confuse the government with its people.

Lesson learned. Whereas my work at ATFL focuses on US-Lebanon policy and analyzing various macroeconomic features of life in Lebanon that are a disaster, we cannot lose focus on the people and the institutions which should be serving them. The main purpose of their meetings was to discuss how to promote accountability in institutions in Lebanon given how endemic corruption is – upheld by the clientelism that is interwoven into Lebanese society and politics.

I was impressed that many of the professionals in the room were young women with expertise in such areas as corruption, judicial reform, sanctions, international legal issues, women rights, and related topics. They provided me an update as seen through the eyes and experiences of their expertise driven by strong values. TIMEP has become quite a resource in providing research and analysis on key Arab countries and even has an office in Beirut as well as in Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, and Jordan.

Those who are working on the issue of accountability face many obstacles. Where to begin? Our basic fallback position is, “rule of law.” From that concern flows transparency, an independent judiciary, oversight and monitoring of government entities, and how the judiciary functions. Tania Daou Alam, one of the participants of the meeting, is a Lebanese lawyer who works with families of the survivors of the Beirut Port Explosion – having lost her own husband as well – despite her usual focus on civil and commercial litigation, corporate matters, and copyright law. Her family is generationally integrated into the law profession and she in particular is well qualified to speak on matters related to judicial reform and the impact of politics on the pathway to justice regarding the Port Explosion investigation.

After the Port explosion and banking sector implosion, the two issues frequently discussed in the public were corruption and the lack of respect for the law. What person could better describe these issues in Lebanon than Monika Borgmann, the widow of Lokman Slim. She noted that 17,000 people “disappeared” during the Lebanese Civil War and there have been 200+political assassinations since. She voiced her concern that the current state of the media freedoms was greatly curtailed by threats, physical and verbal abuse, and even assassinations. As a professional journalist and filmmaker, she, “has focused her career on high-level, geopolitically sensitive cases and has sat as a board member of the Interpol Foundation.”

There is no single person or institution that can root out and change the culture of corruption and lack of accountability in Lebanon. At all levels of society and in all areas of the country, accountability is missing or avoided. As Zena Wakim, the president of the Board of the Swiss foundation, Accountability Now, and an international lawyer emphasized, there are no shortcuts.  Investigations, whether tied to financial misdeeds or crimes against humanity, are detailed and require a great deal of energy. She works with civil society to pursue accountability issues and most recently brought forward a suit in a Texas court for harm faced by US citizens as a result of the Beirut Port Explosion. She also trained as a war crime investigator with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations in The Hague.

The work is intense and sometimes dangerous, but without these advocates, Zena, Monnika, and Tania, and their colleagues, hope would be impossible. A big thanks to the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Studies https://timep.org/for bringing their important work to the attention of policy makers in Washington, and for helping rebuild hope that we can cope with and overcome the current distress in Lebanon.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

This Week in Lebanon 09/30/2022



 

September 30, 2022

IMF Staff Concludes Visit to Lebanon
Parliament Approves 2022 Budget 3 Months Before the Year Ends
European Ambassadors to Lebanese Politicians: The Time to Act is Now

IMF Staff Concludes Visit to Lebanon
After meeting with Lebanese leaders from September 19 to 21, the IMF issued a statement where it notes, “Despite the urgency for action to address Lebanon’s deep economic and social crisis, progress in implementing the reforms agreed under the April SLA remains very slow.” [IMF]

RESPONSE

“Very slow” says it all. The IMF is awaiting action by Lebanon on crucial steps including: complete agreement on a realistic 2022 budget; the adoption of capital controls; public sector reforms; a new banking secrecy law; and a banking sector rehabilitation strategy. The IMF staff concludes that until the prior actions agreed to are implemented, the IMF board will not take action on an IMF reform package. Given the government’s non-responsiveness, one has to wonder whether or not Lebanese policy makers understand the serious economic and social failure Lebanon faces in the short term . Time is running out for Lebanon to save itself.

-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel 

Parliament Approves 2022 Budget 3 Months Before the Year Ends
Lebanon’s parliament has just passed the country’s first budget since 2020. It importantly does not address the country’s high deficit and adoption of a credible budget is a requirement for IMF assistance. The exchange rate used in the budget also differed from that defined by the IMF. The budget sees the salaries of public employees increased by three times their previous value. [L’Orient Today] [Ibid]

RESPONSE
There is nothing straightforward in how Lebanon’s parliament is responding to the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure funding that will help it move on the road to survival and even recovery. Gamesmanship and false flags are all part of the minuet that passes for debate and constructive compromise. Even when recommendations are sound and contribute to a common goal, there is no interest among some parliamentarians of ceding any ground to others. Lebanon is not an object for manipulation. Lives are at stake. Maybe those parliamentarians who are chronic fault-finders should mobilize to promote rather than serve as a blocking force. 

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

The Time to Act is Now
The European Union and its Member States, as well as Norway and Switzerland published an op-ed in L’Orient Today where they assert, “All relevant Lebanese decision makers can and must do more now to rebuild the economic, monetary and fiscal space in Lebanon, as a first step to bringing its economy back on a path of recovery.” [L’Orient Today]

RESPONSE

These European Ambassadors are clearly adamant in their statement pleading with the Lebanese government, including parliament, to show strength and commitment in serving the people. They focused on building trust by modernizing government and providing services as a first step in a process requiring courage and transparency. They also called for full implementation of the IMF reforms. The Europeans are ready to assist, but after so much humanitarian assistance from the international community, it’s Lebanon’s turn to show initiative and determination. Step up, Lebanon. This is no justification in becoming an orphan state.

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/30/2022



 

 

DAILY NEWS

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Expects Proposal on Maritime File Within 24 Hours
According to Naharnet, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has said that he is hoping President Michel Aoun will receive within 24 hours a written proposal from U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein regarding the demarcation of the sea border with Israel.” [Naharnet]

Lebanese Government to Roll Out New Rate Gradually
According to Reuters, “Lebanon will roll out a new official exchange rate of 15,000 pounds per dollar gradually, with initial exceptions to include banks’ balance sheets and housing loan repayments to which the old rate will still apply, the prime minister said.” [
Reuters]

Mayyas to Host Virtual Event with US Embassy
According the National, “Teaming up with the US embassy in Beirut, the all-female dance crew [Mayyas] will perform online and speak about their TV victory along with their founder, Nadim Cherfan . . . He confirms the group will perform for the first time since returning from the US. [The National]

Interior Ministry Announces New Measures to Curtail Informal Migration
According to L’Orient Today, Lebanese authorities plan to enforce a series of ‘measures’ to curb irregular migration, the caretaker cabinet announced following a meeting Thursday in Beirut, a week after an attempted irregular boat journey ended in the deaths of more than 100 people . . . 
Authorities plan to launch a public awareness campaign “to explain the consequences of irregular emigration,” caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi announced after Thursday’s cabinet meeting. In addition, all boats will need to be registered officially and naval forces will increase the frequency of their patrols. Mawlawi did not clarify in his statement when enforcement of the new measures would begin.” [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Hope And Strength Alive In Lebanon
Jean AbiNader

 

AbiNader writes, “There is no single person or institution that can root out and change the culture of corruption and lack of accountability in Lebanon. At all levels of society and in all areas of the country, accountability is missing or avoided. As Zena Wakim, the president of the Board of the Swiss foundation, Accountability Now, and an international lawyer emphasized, there are no shortcuts.  Investigations, whether tied to financial misdeeds or crimes against humanity, are detailed and require a great deal of energy. She works with civil society to pursue accountability issues and most recently brought forward a suit in a Texas court for harm faced by US citizens as a result of the Beirut Port Explosion. She also trained as a war crime investigator with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations in The Hague. The work is intense and sometimes dangerous, but without these advocates, Zena, Monnika, and Tania, and their colleagues, hope would be impossible.”

Read More Here

AP News
For Iran, The IRGC’s Regional Role Is As Important As The Nuclear Deal

Kareem Chehayeb

Chehayeb writes, “Farmers in a small town perched on a northern Lebanese mountain have long refused to accept defeat even as the government abandoned them to a life off the grid. Harf Beit Hasna receives almost no basic services. No water or sewage system, no streetlight or garbage collection. The only public school is closed. The nearest pharmacy is a long drive down a winding mountain road.
‘We live on another planet,’ said Nazih Sabra, a local farmer. ‘The state has completely forgotten us, and so have the politicians and municipalities.’ Its around 2,500 residents have gotten by because of an ingenious solution: They dug trenches, lined them with plastic and use them to collect rainwater. For decades, the rainwater enabled them to grow enough crops for themselves, with a surplus to sell. But where government neglect didn’t kill Harf Beit Hasna, the combination of climate change and economic disaster now threatens to.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/29/2022



 

DAILY NEWS

Parliamentary Session Fails to Elect New President 
According to AP News, “Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday failed to elect a new president, with the majority of lawmakers casting blank ballots and some walking out.” [AP News]

European Diplomats Express Unified Concern Over Situation in Lebanon
In a statement issued immediately following a meeting with Lebanon’s president Michel Aoun, Ambassador Ralph Tarraf, representing the European Union’s diplomatic mission in Lebanon, said, “We feel extreme concern about the rapid deterioration of the economic, financial, security and social crisis.” [
Reuters]

Read Full Statement Here

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Calls for ‘More Concerted Efforts’ on Presidential Election
According to L’Orient Today, “Parliament’s first session Thursday to elect a president, which failed to do so, ‘should serve as a step towards more concerted efforts’ to choose the next head of state by the Oct. 31 deadline, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka said in a tweet the same day.” [L’Orient Today]

UNIFIL Head Reiterates Importance of Tripartite Framework
During a routine tripartite meeting among Lebanese, Israeli, and UNIFIL military officials at the latter’s headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, the Spanish head of mission Major General Aroldo Lazaro said, “Resolution 2650 [the UNIFIL mandate renewal] reiterated the importance of the tripartite mechanism, strongly urging the parties to make constructive and expanded use of this forum.” [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

For The Sake Of The Children
Jean AbiNader
 

AbiNader writes, “It is saddening to assess the situation related to children in Lebanon. Two recent studies from UNICEF (UN International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) detail how a veritable lost generation has resulted from the pandemic and the Beirut Post blast which exacerbated the dislocation caused by the economic demise of the country. Twice a year, UNICEF carries out an in-depth analysis of both Lebanese and refugee children. Called the Child-Focused Rapid Assessment (CFRA), its most recent finding from this summer found that 84% of households could not cover the basic necessities and that one in four children had recently gone to bed hungry. With jobs evaporating and the value of the currency barely recognizable, household debt was on the rise.”

Read More Here

Arab News
For Iran, The IRGC’s Regional Role Is As Important As The Nuclear Deal

Nadim Shehadi

Shehadi writes, “Iran understood the importance of the anti-nuclear lobby in the West during the Cold War and is now using the appeal of the nuclear issue as an avenue to have its gradual takeover of the Middle East recognized and accepted. Iranian proxies like the Houthis, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and close to a dozen other militias in Iraq are not only acting locally, but they are also cooperating regionally and threatening US allies in the Gulf, with recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/28/2022



 

DAILY NEWS

Ministry of Finance Announces Adjustment of Official Rate to 15,000 LL
According to AP News, “The Lebanese Finance Ministry said Wednesday the crisis-hit country will hike its fixed exchange rate against the dollar to 15,000 Lebanese pounds starting in November, calling it a “necessary corrective action.” [
AP News]

Most Parliamentary Blocs Expected to Participate in Tomorrow’s Session on the Election of the New President  
According to Naharnet, “Most of the country’s parliamentary blocs and independent MPs will take part in Thursday’s presidential election session, several blocs and TV networks said on Wednesday.” [Naharnet]

Mayyas Dance Troupe Honored with Lebanon’s Gold Medal of Merit
In the aftermath of their international success as the champions of the America’s Got Talent (AGT) competition, Lebanon’s Mayyas dance troupe was officially handed the Lebanese Gold Medal of Merit by President Michel Aoun, acknowledging the ‘image of harmony’ that their strength and performance created, achieving this global success in the name of Lebanon. [The961]

Entry Into Sites of Culture and Antiquity Free Through End of Week
According to L’Orient Today, “Entry to archaeological and cultural sites will be free until the end of September, caretaker Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada announced via the state-run National News Agency.” [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

For The Sake Of The Children
Jean AbiNader
 

AbiNader writes, “It is saddening to assess the situation related to children in Lebanon. Two recent studies from UNICEF (UN International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) detail how a veritable lost generation has resulted from the pandemic and the Beirut Post blast which exacerbated the dislocation caused by the economic demise of the country. Twice a year, UNICEF carries out an in-depth analysis of both Lebanese and refugee children. Called the Child-Focused Rapid Assessment (CFRA), its most recent finding from this summer found that 84% of households could not cover the basic necessities and that one in four children had recently gone to bed hungry. With jobs evaporating and the value of the currency barely recognizable, household debt was on the rise.”

Read More Here

AP News
‘Don’t Leave Me’: Survivor Recounts Lebanon Boat Sinking

Kareem Chehayeb

Chehayeb writes, “Jihad Michlawi struggled to make ends meet as a chef in crisis-hit Beirut. The Palestinian had never considered taking a perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe until friends who did so persuaded him to try. Now, he’s one of dozens of survivors from a capsized migrant boat that left Tripoli, Lebanon, last week heading toward Italy carrying some 150 Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/29/2022



 

DAILY NEWS

Speaker of Parliament Calls for Session Concerning Presidential Election
Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri today called upon all MP’s to participate in a parliamentary session concerning the selection of Lebanon’s next president, set to take place on Thursday. [
AP News]

Lebanon’s Public Debt Reaches 101.1 Billion USD
Although calculated at the unaltered exchange rate of 1507.5 LBP to 1 USD, the Finance Ministry published figures measuring Lebanon’s public debt as of April 2022, reaching $101.1 billion USD. [L’Orient Today]

Families of Detainees, Victims of Port Explosion File Hold Simultaneous Protests
According to L’Orient Today,Relatives of victims of the deadly Aug. 4 port explosion organized a sit-in outside the Beirut Courts of Justice Tuesday to protest the appointment of a substitute judge in the investigation. Relatives of detainees in the same investigation held a simultaneous demonstration in support the appointment, because such a judge would be empowered to rule on release requests. Inside the courthouse, the Higher Judicial Council debated the appointment of the new judge.” [L’Orient Today]

Death Toll from Migrant Shipwreck Reported Above 100
After another ship attempting to transport migrants away from Lebanon’s northern coast sank in the Eastern Mediterranean near Syria, Syrian authorities reported recovering 100 bodies out of an estimated 150 passengers. [Naharnet]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

For The Sake Of The Children
Jean AbiNader
 

AbiNader writes, “It is saddening to assess the situation related to children in Lebanon. Two recent studies from UNICEF (UN International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) detail how a veritable lost generation has resulted from the pandemic and the Beirut Post blast which exacerbated the dislocation caused by the economic demise of the country. Twice a year, UNICEF carries out an in-depth analysis of both Lebanese and refugee children. Called the Child-Focused Rapid Assessment (CFRA), its most recent finding from this summer found that 84% of households could not cover the basic necessities and that one in four children had recently gone to bed hungry. With jobs evaporating and the value of the currency barely recognizable, household debt was on the rise.”

Read More Here

Reuters
Teachers’ Strike And Soaring Fees: Lebanon’s Public School Pupils Miss Class

Maya Gebeily

Gebeily writes, “School teacher Claude Koteich, her teenager daughter and 10-year-old son should have all been back in class weeks ago – but a crisis in Lebanon’s education sector has left them lounging at home on a Monday afternoon. Lebanon’s three-year financial meltdown has severely devalued the country’s pound and drained state coffers, pushing 80% of the population into poverty and gutting public services including water and electricity.” 

Read More Here

New York Times
An Israel-Lebanon Border Deal Could Increase Natural Gas Supplies

Clifford Krauss

Krauss writes, “Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since 1948, but the countries are close to an agreement that could increase production of natural gas, helping energy-starved Europe. Officials from the two countries have said they are close to resolving long-running disputes over their maritime borders, which would allow energy companies to extract more fossil fuels from fields in the Mediterranean Sea. The increased production won’t make up for the gas that Europe is no longer getting from Russia. But energy experts say an Israeli-Lebanese agreement should give a vital push to efforts to produce more gas in that part of the world. Over the last four years, energy production in the eastern Mediterranean has been growing as Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Cyprus have worked together to take advantage of oil and gas buried under the sea.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

For the Sake of the Children

It is saddening to assess the situation related to children in Lebanon. Two recent studies from UNICEF (UN International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) detail how a veritable lost generation has resulted from the pandemic and the Beirut Post blast which exacerbated the dislocation caused by the economic demise of the country.

Twice a year, UNICEF carries out an in-depth analysis of both Lebanese and refugee children. Called the Child-Focused Rapid Assessment (CFRA), its most recent finding from this summer found that 84% of households could not cover the basic necessities and that one in four children had recently gone to bed hungry. With jobs evaporating and the value of the currency barely recognizable, household debt was on the rise.

As the report insisted, “Lebanon is not in temporary recession. We are stuck, deep, in a ‘deliberate depression,’ which comes at enormous cost. The rising vulnerability of children in Lebanon and the multidimensional attacks on their childhoods, their dreams, and on the intimate bonds with their families, will be irreversible.” Of the 300,000 young people included in the study, 100,000 are Lebanese, the rest being Palestinians and Syrians.

“It is hard, three years into Lebanon’s crisis, to think of a more alarming indicator of the country’s proximity to complete failed state status than the inability of parents to provide basic rights to their children. Or perhaps, no consequence of the crisis is more representative of the unravelling of the country’s social contract than the breakdown of relationships between children and their parents.” Children and parents are both suffering, unable to marshal resources ranging from medication and transportation, to foodstuffs, clothing, and education.

Save the Children reports that despite attending classes, more than 700,000 children are at risk of never returning to a classroom due to rising poverty. More than 30% of households have cut their spending on education, reflecting a massive shift in which families upend the norm of enrolling their children in private schools – now unable to do so for financial reasons – sending them instead to gravely underfunded public schools with sporadic teachers’ strikes protesting a lack of salaries, inadequate transportation allowances, and poorly maintained facilities. Increased fuel costs hinder school attendance overall and many students are forced to study without textbooks, learning materials, or computers.

In the refugee camps, this has not only led to high rates of absence but some families’ choice “to marry off their daughters early and send the older brothers to work, and the young boys are given the opportunity to get their education.”

Additional UN data shows that more than 2 million Lebanese people – about 57% of the population – are now living in vulnerable situations with three in every four households – or 77% not having enough money to buy food. This is in addition to the 1.8 million refugees and migrants living in Lebanon, including 700,000 Syrian refugee children already facing dire conditions. About 99% of Syrian households do not have enough money to buy food.

The rising cost of food will likely exacerbate nutrition and health needs across Lebanon. Without urgent action, children will continue to bear the brunt of Lebanon’s worsening poverty crisis with more than 200,000 children already suffering from malnutrition and 7% of all children stunted, an indicator of chronic malnutrition.

Between the dismal performance in the quality of life indicators and the continued social, psychological, and health tolls borne by the children, there is real fear that this generation is indeed already lost.

As the LCPS analysis concludes, “The very foundations of society that make us who we are, that bind us to one another, are falling apart. There are no short-stop measures to managing Lebanon’s blackhole of a depression—only the ever-urgent need for decisive action to stabilize the crisis and set the country towards a sustainable and just recovery. If not for us, at least, for our children’s sake.”

To read the full LCPS report, you can do so through the following hyperlink: The Critical Situation of Youth in Lebanon: After the Point of No Return and Organizing for Change.

For the UNICEF report, you can access their full publication here: Deprived Childhoods: Child Poverty in Crisis-Wracked Lebanon.

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/26/2022



 

DAILY NEWS

Lebanese Veterans Protest Economic Conditions, Parliament Passes 2022 Budget
According to AP News, “Lebanese army retirees scuffled with parliamentary guard troops as they briefly broke through a cordon leading to Parliament in downtown Beirut during a rally Monday. They were protesting their decimated monthly pay amid the country’s economic meltdown . . . Hours after the protest, Parliament passed the 2022 budget, a key demand by the International Monetary Fund, with 63 legislators voting in favor, 37 voting against and six abstaining. The new budget will calculate customs tax revenue at 15,000 Lebanese pounds to the dollar at a time when the black market rate is more than double that at about 37,000 pounds to the dollar.” [
AP News]

Sunni Grand Mufti Calls for Election of President
According to Arab News, “Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian warned on Saturday that Lebanon has become a failed state. ‘We are rapidly moving toward no state at all, and the Arabs and the world will soon start ignoring Lebanon’s existence because of political mismanagement at all levels,’ he said. ‘We need to elect a new president and the MPs are responsible for electing him or creating a presidential vacuum.’ Derian had invited Sunni MPs for a meeting at Dar Al-Fatwa to discuss possible candidates. All but three of 27 Sunni MPs from different political currents attended the meeting, including one MP affiliated with Hezbollah, in addition to reformist and independent MPs.” [Arab News]

Maritime Border Offer Expected by the Week’s End
According to the National, “A source close to the negotiations underscored that a written offer would not constitute a formal agreement. ‘It’s not a formal agreement. We are just expecting to receive Hochstein’s written proposal for the border delineation,’ the source said, adding the offer would finalise what was previously a verbal proposal. ‘The Lebanese side gets a copy and the Israeli side gets an identical copy,’ the source said. If both sides agree to the terms of the offer they would then hold an indirect meeting in Ras el Naqoura ― the international border crossing between Lebanon and Israel ― to finalise details through US mediation.” [The National]

Ukrainian Ship Transporting Corn, Vegetable Oil Reaches Lebanon
According to AP News, “A ship carrying thousands of tons of corn and vegetable oil from war-ravaged Ukraine docked in northern Lebanon on Monday, the first such vessel since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor started seven months ago.” [AP News]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

For The Sake Of The Children
Jean AbiNader
 

AbiNader writes, “It is saddening to assess the situation related to children in Lebanon. Two recent studies from UNICEF (UN International Children’s Emergency Fund) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) detail how a veritable lost generation has resulted from the pandemic and the Beirut Post blast which exacerbated the dislocation caused by the economic demise of the country. Twice a year, UNICEF carries out an in-depth analysis of both Lebanese and refugee children. Called the Child-Focused Rapid Assessment (CFRA), its most recent finding from this summer found that 84% of households could not cover the basic necessities and that one in four children had recently gone to bed hungry. With jobs evaporating and the value of the currency barely recognizable, household debt was on the rise.”

Read More Here

The Hill
US Quietly Pursues Middle East Breakthrough With Israel-Lebanon Deal

Laura Kelly

Kelly writes, “The negotiations appear to be closing in on the finish line amid intensive negotiations between U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials that took place this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The administration has taken pains to downplay the significance of the potential agreement — concerned that anything that appears to look like normalization between Israel and Lebanon would set off a catastrophic fight with Hezbollah, which has an estimated 150,000 missiles positioned on Israel’s northern border. But if successful, an agreement between Lebanon and Israel — with Beirut implicitly recognizing Israel’s legitimacy while the two sides are at war — would mark a tremendous victory for the Biden administration’s use of diplomacy to advance Middle East stability.”

Read More Here

Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI)
The Unbearable Cost of Inflation in the MENA Region

Leila Dagher

Dagher writes, “Lebanon has been facing multi-pronged crises which have deepened and expanded dramatically due to bad government policies. As a result, inflation has been skyrocketing for the past couple of years. The annual inflation rate for 2021 came in at 154.8% and is expected by Fitch Solutions to accelerate to 178% for the year 2022, placing Lebanon second highest among all countries in the index. This latest increase in the projected inflation rate can be ascribed to adjustments of “telecommunication, port and customs tariffs” by the government. Both businesses and households have suffered tremendously from the uncontrolled inflation. Given the rapidly deteriorating socio-economic situation, the government is urged to prioritize policies aimed at curbing inflation, such as temporarily eliminating customs tariffs on all non-luxury products rather than increasing them. All in all, embarking on an IMF program immediately remains the only way possible to save the country from a total irreversible collapse.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

This Week In Lebanon 09/26/2022



 

 

Iranian Embassy Announces Fuel Shipments to Lebanon, Set to Arrive in Next Few Weeks
Can Lebanon’s ‘Change” Coalition Fix a Broken System? 
Can Arab States Bounce Back from COVID and Climate Crises?

Iranian Embassy Announces Fuel Shipments to Lebanon, Set to Arrive in Next Few Weeks
As reported by the Hezbollah-affiliated media station, Al-Manar TV, the Embassy of Iran in Lebanon announced Iran’s readiness to send ships loaded with fuel to Lebanon ‘within one or two weeks’, to which a Lebanese energy ministry spokesperson responded, “any gift from anywhere is welcome”. [Reuters]

RESPONSE

This raises the question on why it has taken so long for the US to make good on its offer to clear the way for the Levantine energy deal that would double the amount of additional electricity for Lebanese households. This deal has been in the works for months. Who’s holding it up now, the US or Lebanon? There should be no excuse by either party if they care about easing the suffering of the Lebanese people. It takes quite an effort to make Iran appear as a benevolent regional actor and friend to the Lebanese people and somehow policy makers in Washington and Beirut are miraculously managing to do just that.

-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel 

Can Lebanon’s ‘Change” Coalition Fix a Broken System? 
Adnan Nasser writes, “In a press conference held in Beirut’s historic Sodeco neighborhood on September 3, the members of parliament (MPs) who make up the ‘Change’ bloc in Lebanon’s parliament announced their agenda to elect a new head of state. They agreed that any individual running for president must meet a list of standards in order to earn their vote of confidence. The thirteen lawmakers, who were elected on the values of Lebanon’s 2019 revolution, said ‘popular pressure methods’ will be applied if a new president is not elected before October 20.” [The National Interest]

RESPONSE
It’s not a sure thing that Lebanon can elect a compliant president on time who embodies the compromises that leave the country in the same shape and still under the discretion of the traditional parties. The country needs a significant change from the past if it is to survive. It is a bigger challenge than the ‘Change’ coalition or any other group can manage absent an unwavering commitment by members of Parliament to prioritize the people’s needs. So far, Parliament is acting as if everything will work out and that they can continue enjoying a status quo that has drained the state for the many and enriched the few. The Lebanese people deserve something better, beginning with transparency and openness from their representatives on the road to the presidency.

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

Can Arab States Bounce Back from COVID and Climate Crises?
Mona Yacoubian, Senior Advisor, Executive Office and Middle East and North Africa Center at the US Institute for Peace, analyzes a recent UNDP report on development in the Middle East and North Africa. In particular, the report focuses on the effects of the pandemic and climate change. Yacoubian writes, “While the U.S. national security apparatus has already expanded its strategic bandwidth to include the destabilizing impacts of pandemics and climate change, lead implementing agencies such as USAID should continue to deepen engagement on these challenges.” [USIP]

RESPONSE

Yacoubian’s analysis of the 2022 UN Arab Human Development Report leaves little to no surprises for those who follow Lebanon. It’s clear that Lebanon was in a mess before the pandemic. The recent forest fires highlighted the government’s inability once again to manage blazes. It also failed to do so in 2019 which helped to stir up public resentment that boiled over into the October 2019 demonstrations. Lebanon has the highest cost of living in the region, along with greatly weakened health and education sectors. In fact, the damage to students at all levels will take decades to repair, IF, the government is able to adopt the IMF reform package and once again have a functioning state. Without significant proactive measures, Lebanon will continue moving from paralysis to failure. .

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

 

 

Lebanon Daily News Brief 09/23/2022



 

DAILY NEWS

New Government Reported to Be Proposed Next Week
According to Naharnet, “The formation of the new government has become imminent and the line-up will be officially announced next week at the latest, a media report said on Thursday.” [Naharnet]

Families of Port Explosion Victims Protest Alternative Judge Appointment
According to L’Orient Today, “Relatives of detainees in the case of the Aug. 4, 2022, port blast observed Thursday evening a sit-in in front of the home of Judge Souheil Abboud, chairman of the Higher Judicial Council, in Ballouneh, Kesrouan, the state-run National News Agency reported. Protesters demanded a decision made by the Higher Judicial Council to appoint an alternative judge to rule on urgent matters.” [
L’Orient Today]

Lebanese Guesthouse Wins Aga Khan Award for Architecture
According to the National, “A Lebanese guesthouse, a Bangladeshi refugee space, a Senegalese school and a museum in Iran are among the winners of the $1 million Aga Khan Award for Architecture, now in its 45th year. The six award winners will share the prize pot, one of the largest in architecture, for an award that was established in 1977 by the Aga Khan to reward building projects and designs that address the needs of communities with significant Muslim populations . . . The renovation of Lebanon’s Niemeyer Guest House in Tripoli is one of the projects. It “is an inspiring tale of architecture’s capacity for repair, at a time of dizzying, entangled crisis around the world, and in Lebanon in particular”, the jury said. On the outskirts of the city, the building stands inside an entrance to the Rachid Karami International Fair, a project by architect Oscar Niemeyer that has been left derelict and unfinished after the country’s civil war halted it in 1975.” [The National]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

The National
What’s Next For Lebanon With No Government And Soon No President?

Nada Homsi

Homsi writes, “Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati have made assurances in recent days that a government formation is on the horizon before Mr Aoun’s term ends on October 31. At a recent meeting with EU ambassadors, Mr Aoun again affirmed his commitment to forming a government that would assume presidential powers in the event of a vacancy. As reported by Lebanese state media, Mr Aoun blamed the delays in the government formation on the challenges presented by Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system. By political convention, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the Parliament Speaker a Shiite Muslim. Meanwhile, the Parliament must contain a 50/50 ratio of Muslims and Christians.”

Read More Here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.