This Week in Lebanon: 12/28/2022







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December 28, 2022

Primary Murder Suspect in UNIFIL Incident Identified, Arrested
Ranking Senators Urge Administration to Levy More Sanctions 
MP’s From Various Affiliations Submit Draft Personal Status Law

Primary Murder Suspect in UNIFIL Incident Identified, Arrested
On December 14th, an armored UNIFIL vehicle came under fire in the Southern Lebanese village of Aqbiya, killing Private Seán Rooney and wounding several others. Private Rooney was a citizen of Ireland, where his remains were returned. Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar were among mourners present at Pte Rooney’s funeral service in County Louth [last] Thursday.” Although several suspects were reportedly arrested since the incident, the prime suspect was allegedly handed over to the Lebanese authorities by Hezbollah and was taken into custody this past weekend. Hezbollah is considered to be a terrorist group by the government of the United States. [BBC]

RESPONSE
 
ATFL is outraged by the loss of Private Seán Rooney, who was killed in the line of duty, and we send our condolences to his family.  As the world watches closely, Lebanon must show the world that it is a country based upon the rule of law and that its judicial decisions are unimpeded by political interference. Hezbollah’s cooperation was an important first step in the investigation of this UN peacekeeper’s murder. Now, the Lebanese judiciary should move quickly in an unobstructed effort to find and prosecute the perpetrators of this terrible crime. 
 
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel

Ranking Senators Menendez, Risch Urge Biden Administration to Levy More Sanctions Against Corrupt Lebanese Financial and Political Elite
According to L’Orient Today, “The two top-ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate urged the Biden administration to levy more sanctions against Lebanon’s financial and political elite who are engaging in corruption and undermining the rule of law.” [L’Orient Today]

RESPONSE

In a harshly worded letter to the government of Lebanon, two ranking members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote, “for too long, Hezbollah and others in Lebanon’s political class have continuously failed to prioritize the needs of the Lebanese people over their own narrow agendas. . .” Regardless of how you spin it, the challenge of negotiating US economic and humanitarian assistance to Lebanon comes at a delicate time. It’s long overdue for the MPs to demonstrate that they are capable of taking concrete steps forward with the national interest at heart.

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

MP’s From Various Affiliations Submit Draft Personal Status Law
According to L’Orient Today, “Several Lebanese MPs proposed a unified personal status law to the Lebanese Parliament on Monday. The law proposal was worked on in partnership with the KAFA (enough) Violence and Exploitation NGO, an organization that works towards ending violence against women, the NGO announced on Dec. 14.” [L’Orient Today]

RESPONSE

Personal status laws have long been obstacles to how the Lebanese interact on family matters.  The article points out that “Lebanon lacks a civil code regulating personal status matters such as marriage, inheritance, and child custody, and so relies on 15 separate personal religious-based status laws and courts for the 18 recognized sects.” One of the themes of the thawra was asking for a law to pass Lebanese citizenship through the mother, still a thorny issue that remains resolved. How can a country build its identity if it denies citizenship to its youth? Parliament should not hesitate to draft revisions to its personal status laws so that it can eliminate sectarian and gender divisions carrying little merit in a changing society. 

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

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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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/23/2022







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December 23rd, 2022

*The Lebanon Daily News Brief will resume on January 3rd, 2023*

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ATFL-MEI POLICY BRIEF & WEBINAR



Today, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), with 20 co-authors, released the latest joint policy brief, “US-Lebanon Relations: Setting a New International Framework for a More Responsive Government.”

Read the Full Policy Brief Here

On January 19, ATFL and MEI will co-host a webinar where panelists will discuss the paper’s recommendations and identify areas of action for US policymakers at this crucial juncture in Lebanon’s history.

Register Here

DAILY NEWS

Reports of Int’l Meeting Concerning Lebanese President
According to Naharnet, “Informed sources have told al-Akhbar that France is still trying to involve Saudi Arabia in the Lebanese details, while the latter is still refusing to discuss candidate names . . . The Saudis and the Americans are not interested in the Lebanese file, despite the French and Qatari initiative, the daily said.” 
[Naharnet]

PM Mikati Delivers Statement Affirming Need for Reforms
According to Naharnet, “Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Thursday that sweeping reforms remain vital to rescue the stricken economy, despite a return to modest growth this year.” 
[Naharnet]

Constitutional Council Rejects Two Appeals of Invalidation Regarding Parliamentary Elections
According to L’Orient Today, “The Constitutional Council rejected on Thursday the last two appeals to invalidate the results of the May 2022 parliamentary elections, the National news agency reported, citing the president of the council, Tannous Mechleb. The first rejected appeal is that of Jad Ghosn (Charbel Nahas list) against Razi al-Hage (Lebanese Forces) and Hagop Pakradounian (Tashnag), in Metn (Mount Lebanon II). Ghosn obtained more preferential votes than Hage, but his list did not reach the electoral coefficient needed to be elected. The second was the appeal submitted by Haidar Issa (Free Patriotic Movement) against Ahmad Rustom (pro-Future Movement) for an Alawite seat in Akkar (North Lebanon I).”
 [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

A Remembrance Of The Holidays In Lebanon
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.” 

Read More Here

L’Orient Today
What Should be Remembered of the News in Lebanon in 2022?

“The first parliamentary elections since the beginning of the financial crisis and the October 2019 uprising; the end of Michel Aoun’s mandate; a cholera outbreak; the national currency’s continued depreciation …. For more than three years now, Lebanon has been careening down a treacherous slope of economic and social crisis, and the balance sheet of the past year unfortunately does not inspire any reasonable hope that the downward trend is about to, finally, be reversed. Despite the many political changes that could have allowed for a renewal in the country, Lebanon is facing an unprecedented situation at the end of 2022: a dual executive-level power vacuum in the absence of both a president and a fully empowered government. In this context of political procrastination, no major reforms have been embarked upon by those in charge, while at the same time the injustices in the country continue to thrive.”

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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/22/2022







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December 22nd, 2022

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ATFL-MEI POLICY BRIEF & WEBINAR



Today, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), with 20 co-authors, released the latest joint policy brief, “US-Lebanon Relations: Setting a New International Framework for a More Responsive Government.”

Read the Full Policy Brief Here

On January 19, ATFL and MEI will co-host a webinar where panelists will discuss the paper’s recommendations and identify areas of action for US policymakers at this crucial juncture in Lebanon’s history.

Register Here

DAILY NEWS

Suspects in UNIFIL Fatality Identified
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanese security services have identified suspects in an attack on UN soldiers that left one peacekeeper dead, a judicial source told AFP on Thursday, adding that the soldiers were chased by gunmen.”
 [L’Orient Today]

Arab League Secretary General Urges Election of President
According to Naharnet, “Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said Thursday that Lebanon can not bear a presidential vacuum and that the league is willing to play its role in a Lebanese dialogue. During the Arab Economic Forum in Beirut, Abul Gheit considered that the way to recovery is by electing a new president and making reforms, urging parties to rise above the divisions and to prioritize Lebanon’s interests.” 
[Naharnet]

Analysis on Remittances During the Holiday Season
According to AP News, “Lebanon will receive roughly $6.8 billion in remittances this year, up from almost $6.4 billion in 2021, as they continue to be a core component of the country’s shrinking and battered economy. The World Bank estimates they are worth almost 38% of the country’s gross domestic product. Apart from the remittances sent from abroad, many of the diaspora return during the holiday season, bringing with them much-needed cash dollars.”
 [AP News]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

A Remembrance Of The Holidays In Lebanon
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.” 

Read More Here

L’Orient Today
Paycheck to Paycheck: The Reality of Lebanese Families Three Years into the Economic Crisis

Ghadir Hamadi

Hamadi writes, “In the span of a decade, Lebanon’s median household income is now roughly a quarter of what it once was. The report, based on a survey of 1,209 households conducted between November 2021 and January 2022, underlines the depths to which Lebanon has sunk amid a three-year economic crisis that the World Bank has called one of the worst globally since the mid-19th century. What does it mean to live with a decimated income? How are people getting by? L’Orient Today interviewed three different people to understand how their lives have changed since the beginning of the crisis.”

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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/21/2022







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December 21st, 2022

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ATFL-MEI POLICY BRIEF & WEBINAR



Today, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), with 20 co-authors, released the latest joint policy brief, “US-Lebanon Relations: Setting a New International Framework for a More Responsive Government.”

Read the Full Policy Brief Here

On January 19, ATFL and MEI will co-host a webinar where panelists will discuss the paper’s recommendations and identify areas of action for US policymakers at this crucial juncture in Lebanon’s history.

Register Here

DAILY NEWS

Former Ambassador David Hale Interviewed by L’Orient Today
In a L’Orient Today interview,  former US Ambassador to Lebanon, Ambassador David Hale, said, “Without the election of a president, the legislation on key reforms, so far pending, cannot be realized . . . Only the Lebanese leaders can make things happen . . . Even if a presidential vacancy is bad, electing the ‘wrong president’ would be worse.”
 [L’Orient Today]

Medicines and Baby Milk in Limited Supply Amid Recent Surge of Lira Rate
According to Naharnet, “The head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Joe Salloum, warned Wednesday that the dramatic surge in the dollar exchange rate on the black market has led to ‘a near-complete halt of the delivery of medicines and baby milk to pharmacies’.”
 [Naharnet]

Corniche al-Nahr Branch of Crédit Libanais Bank Site of Scuffle
According to L’Orient Today, “A scuffle broke out on Tuesday in a branch of the Crédit Libanais bank in Corniche al-Nahr, Beirut, during an action led by a depositor, accompanied by activists, to recover his blocked savings from the bank, the Cry of the Depositors group confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour.”
 [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

A Remembrance Of The Holidays In Lebanon
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.” 

Read More Here

L’Orient Today
Researchers Identify One of the First Lebanese Emigrants to Brazil

Roberto Khatlab

Khatlab writes, “Joseph Ibrahim Nehmeh, like many other people born in Mount Lebanon, left his homeland for Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 18th century.”

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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/20/2022







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December 20th, 2022

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ATFL-MEI POLICY BRIEF & WEBINAR



Today, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), with 20 co-authors, released the latest joint policy brief, “US-Lebanon Relations: Setting a New International Framework for a More Responsive Government.”

Read the Full Policy Brief Here

On January 19, ATFL and MEI will co-host a webinar where panelists will discuss the paper’s recommendations and identify areas of action for US policymakers at this crucial juncture in Lebanon’s history.

Register Here

DAILY NEWS

Lebanon Receives $8.86 Million from World Bank for Waste Management
According to L’Orient Today, “The World Bank awarded an $8.86 million grant to Lebanon on Tuesday to launch a project on waste management. The grant announcement comes as Lebanon continues to struggle with an unprecedented economic crisis and against the backdrop of the yearslong mishandling of waste management in the country.”
 [L’Orient Today]

French Foreign Minister Urges Speedy Election of President
According to Naharnet, “French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Tuesday urged the ‘speedy election’ of a president in Lebanon and the formation of a new government to ‘carry out badly needed reforms’.”
 [Naharnet]

UK Removes Travel Warnings to Most of Lebanon
According to the National, “The UK has updated its travel advice to Lebanon, removing advice ‘against all but essential travel’ for much of the country . . . Whereas earlier the country map on the UK Foreign Office website was coloured entirely yellow or red, much of Lebanon is now shaded in green.
 [The National]

Lebanese Lira Breaks 45,000 LL to 1 USD on Black Market
According to L’Orient Today, “The Lebanese lira broke a new depreciation record on the parallel market Tuesday, while the authorities have still not adopted reforms to curb the economic and financial crisis that has paralyzed the country since 2019.”
 [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

A Remembrance Of The Holidays In Lebanon
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.” 

Read More Here

L’Orient Today
​​Five Lebanese Christmas Traditions — and a Very Cute Syrian One

Farah-Silvana Kanaan

Kanaan writes, “In many secular, Lebanese Christian and other faith households alike, Christmas occupies a special place: Christmas lights wrap around trees, lighting up streets lined with nativity scenes. A Christmas tree lights up a room, loved ones exchange gifts, and feasts shared among people often lead to a food-induced coma. The country’s Christmas traditions are as varied as they are festive, from seasonal treats to widespread religious customs.”

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.

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A Remembrance of the Holidays in Lebanon

We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.

I was to be the guest of the Al-Atrash family in Syria having served with Farid’s brother who headed up the UN project in Yemen. Also an accomplished oud player, it was his charm and intensity that convinced me to visit the jebl that bore the family name. As it would turn out, Farid died during the visit or I may have been his greatest American fan, forsaking my ties to rock and roll.

Two notable memories stand out from my visit to Jebl Atrash.  Getting up at five in the morning to watch the women back bread stands out. I had seen loaves of bread fresh-baked in the Furn el Chebbak neighborhood where some of my cousins lived, and had had the Yemini version of khubz mulawah, but was unprepared for and highly impressed by the handicraft of manakish – unleavened dough rolled paper thin on what looked like a very large pin cushion slapped on a heated surface and pulled off quickly – as it became a most delicious and warming breakfast food blanket.

The other was being awakened by the patriarch of the family early in the morning, who watched Israeli air force jets stream overhead while saying to me, “thank you USA!” I did not forget that lesson.

My family in Lebanon, put off by my concern with all things Arab, did not hesitate to remind me that I should be with them, not roaming around Syria. So I returned to hear their cries about “a state within a state,” and the price that Lebanon paid for having an “Arab face.” The table was set for the civil war, just waiting for one group or another to take issue with their status. They did not have to wait long…

Back to Beirut, the city of lights, where every street was festooned (is there a better word?!) with lights, decorations, and festivities galore. There was no confessional sensitivity on the surface as the city and country focused on celebrations which extended all over the downtown and around Martyrs’ Square. I had come to Lebanon twice before that during the summers with my US-based family, but I didn’t know what to expect during the winter time. The spirit of the holidays was pervasive then, just as it is now, while people struggled to throw off the pall of the current politics and remember better times.

These were clearly the days that portended the coming crisis. People in the streets would smile wanly and say, “If only…” waiting for the US or for France to change the dynamics and relieve the latest feelings of occupation. While the politicians bickered and the region’s stability continued to deteriorate, diplomats scurried between capitals to maintain the image of Arab unity, with death tolls continuing to mount and terrorism becoming an acknowledged regional reality in the meantime.

Hijacking, hostage taking, and bombings in civilian areas shook the Earth from North Africa to the Levant. Radicals of all persuasions took to the streets to protest various occupations, corrupt regimes, autocratic governments, and the need for justice, however defined. But there were always the holidays. No matter what one’s belief system, the prayers that year were for peace and justice and harmony – and they still are.

Lebanon is still searching for basic answers in order to reconcile its strained past and bleak future based on a semblance of the “good old days.” Not much chance of that. Yesterday it was the pasha who set the path; today there are the zu’ama’; and tomorrow? Let’s pray that the youth of today take up the mantle of justice, freedom, neutrality, and equity underpinning peace in Lebanon for a better tomorrow.

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 12/19/2022







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December 19th, 2022

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Top Ranking Senators Menendez, Risch Urge Biden Administration to Levy More Sanctions Against Corrupt Lebanese Financial and Political Elite
According to L’Orient Today, “The two top-ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate urged the Biden administration to levy more sanctions against Lebanon’s financial and political elite who are engaging in corruption and undermining the rule of law.”
 [L’Orient Today]

DAILY NEWS

LAF, UNIFIL Hold Joint Memorial for Irish Peacekeeper
According to AP News, “The Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers held a memorial at the Beirut airport on Sunday for an Irish soldier killed by a mob that opened fire last week at two vehicles belonging to the U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The attack that killed 24 year-old Pvt. Seán Rooney of Newtowncunningham took place near the southern town of Al-Aqbiya on Wednesday night, as he and seven other Irish peacekeepers from U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL, were on their way to the Beirut airport.” 
[AP News]

US Court of Appeals Determines Depositors’ Cases Against Lebanese Banks Can Be Tried in US Jurisdictions
According to Reuters, “The court decision, issued on Thursday in a case brought by Lebanese depositors against leading lender Bank Audi, overturned a federal district court’s decision that said Beirut courts had ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ to try cases against Lebanese banks.”
 [Reuters]

PM Mikati Alludes to Ongoing International ‘Presidency Solution’ In Preparation
According to Naharnet, “Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati revealed Monday that foreign countries are ‘preparing’ a solution for the Lebanese presidential crisis [but clarified that ‘things take time’].” 
[Naharnet]

Prison Break in Jib Jenin, Bekaa – Twenty Six Prisoners Escape
According to L’Orient Today, “Twenty-six prisoners in Jib Jenin prison, in Western Bekaa, escaped through a ventilation opening, L’Orient Today’s correspondent in the Bekaa reported on Monday. Security forces managed to capture one of the escapees Monday morning, a security source said, adding that the army’s intelligence services in the Bekaa later arrested seven more.”
 [L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Reuters
Tariff Hike Squeezes Struggling Lebanese as Reforms Stall

Timour Azhari and Emilie Madi

Azhari and Madi write, “Lebanon’s economic meltdown, now in its fourth year, has seen the currency lose more than 95% of its value and left eight in 10 Lebanese poor, according to the United Nations. With foreign currency coffers dwindling, the state has already lifted subsidies on fuel and most medication. Hiking the rate at which the customs fee is calculated, officials say, will boost state revenues and is a step towards unifying various exchange rates . . . The tariff jump came into effect on Dec 1. Import taxes began being calculated at an exchange rate of 15,000 Lebanese pounds per dollar instead of the old 1,507, meaning traders suddenly had to pay much more to bring in products like home appliances, telephones or car parts. That is set to pile even more financial pressure on people struggling to make ends meet.”

Read More Here

L’Orient Today
Amid the Crisis, Parents Struggle to Put their Children in the Festive Spirit

Lyana Alameddine, Sarah Abdallah, and Michael Hallak

Alameddine, Abdallah, and Hallak write, “For parents who are mentally or financially drained by Lebanon’s economic crisis, maintaining Christmas traditions is no easy feat . . .This Christmas resonates differently for most Lebanese families. While the country is in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, some parents are doing their best to communicate the holiday spirit to their children despite the fact that their lives have changed drastically over the past three years.”

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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/16/2022







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December 16th, 2022

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SPECIAL STATEMENT



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ATFL PRESS RELEASE



“Congress, on a bipartisan basis, is continuing to express its disappointment in the ‘business as usual’ approach from Lebanon’s political and economic elite,” said ATFL President Ed Gabriel. Read More Here

DAILY NEWS

PM Mikati Visits Naqoura, Vows Punishment on Those Who Killed UNIFIL Soldier
According to Reuters, “Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that those responsible for the killing of an Irish soldier on a U.N. peacekeeping mission two days ago ‘will be punished’.”
 [Reuters] LAF Commander in Chief General Joseph Aoun was also present at the UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura. 

UN Secretary General Condemns Attack 
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a statement said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the death of Seán Rooney, a UNIFIL soldier of Irish nationality who served in Southern Lebanon. Guterres called for a, “swift investigation by relevant authorities to determine the facts related to the incident and the need for accountability.” 
[Naharnet]

Mikati Meets with Select Ministers
According to L’Orient Today, “A meeting of 20 ministers took place on Friday at the Grand Serail in Beirut, chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to decide on a ‘mechanism’ to continue the management of current affairs in the absence of a president.”
 [L’Orient Today]

Minister of Transport and Public Works Tests Soon to Be Launched Buses Donated From France
According to L’Orient Today, “Caretaker Minister of Transport and Public Works Ali Hamiyeh participated in a Friday test session of buses donated to Lebanon by France and announced that some of them will be put into service as soon as Monday.” 
[L’Orient Today]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Demise Of A Legend – The Lebanese Medical Sector
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “More than half of the country’s professional healthcare staff have chosen to emigrate, if they have not done so already, seeking better earnings so that they may feed their families and send their children to school. This has been the situation since the Beirut Port blast and the economic implosion that has left Lebanon dependent on international aid and remittances from overseas. Even if the government begins a process of paying its arrears, most hospitals are refusing to admit patients knowing that the country is bankrupt and neither the availability nor affordability of medical care will change soon.”

Read More Here

The National
In Lebanon, an NGO Spreads Christmas Joy to War-Injured Children

Nada Maucourant Atallah

Atallah writes, “Inara, an international charity, is organising a concert that features children affected by war.”

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.

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This Week in Lebanon: 12/16/2022







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December 16, 2022

Lebanon Starts Hiring for Power Body to Comply with Terms for World Bank Funds
Lebanese File Entirely Left off of IMF Agenda

Lebanese Religious Leader Slams MPs for Failing Nation’s People, World 
Why, With Each Rainstorm, Does Lebanon Dive into Chaos?

Lebanon Starts Hiring for Power Body to Comply with Terms for World Bank Funds
Lebanon’s Energy Ministry has recently announced it has begun hiring for an Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), a requirement for receiving World Bank assistance to support the Levantine Energy Deal. This deal would more than double the amount of electricity provided to the Lebanese people on a daily basis. [Reuters]

RESPONSE

The devil is in the details. As the Ministry begins the process of hiring for an ERA, will it recruit independent regulators not beholding to any political party or individual and truly devolve power to the regulatory body according to international standards? The World Bank is expected to carefully review proposals by the Energy Ministry to ensure that Lebanon has presented a bonafide cost recovery plan and a regulatory reform program that meets international expectations.

-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel 

Lebanese File Entirely Left off of IMF Agenda
The Executive Board of the IMF is currently in a series of meetings where it is assessing the value of staff-level agreements between its employees and various governments around the world. The board is reviewing agreements currently in place in Egypt and Tunisia, but Lebanon was left off of the agenda entirely. The Lebanon file will not be reviewed as the Lebanese government has yet to implement the necessary reforms outlined in the staff-level agreement. [LBC]

RESPONSE

A piecemeal approach to approving IMF prior agreement legislation is not working. The parliament needs a strong – and perhaps independently – facilitated process, involving top government officials, parliamentarian representatives from all political parties and coalitions, the IMF, and key stakeholders to agree on a reform package. Without such a process, the IMF reforms are going nowhere. A facilitated process should begin immediately but expectations to complete such a deal will be difficult until a president is elected.  

-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel 

Lebanese Religious Leader Slams MPs for Failing Nation’s People, World
Last Sunday, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi renewed his calls for the international community to help address Lebanon’s economic and political crisis. He went on to blame the political class for failing to implement reforms that would have prevented these crises in the first place. [Arab News]

RESPONSE
 
Once again the Maronite Patriarch has raised his voice to scold Lebanon’s political class for their seeming disregard for the future of the country. His objections to their constant obfuscation and corruption are well known, and he is striking out to protest the current inertia in electing a “clean” president and moving ahead with adopting reforms demanded by the IMF before beginning a bail out of the state. Representing a sizeable part of the population, it is disconcerting that his concerns go unheeded by politicians claiming to represent major Christian parties, thus dividing the community even further. Is he correct in asking, “Is there a deliberate decision to demolish existing Lebanon and build on its ruins a draft state that does not belong to its people, its history, or its surroundings?”
 
-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

Why, With Each Rainstorm, Does Lebanon Dive into Chaos?
Lebanon’s outdated infrastructure is plaguing the country. Every time the country experiences heavy rain, local communities suffer from flooding and people die. This video explains the nature of the problem as well as potential solutions. [L’Orient Today]

RESPONSE

This telling video looks at the increased flooding in recent years in Lebanon. According to the report, it is not just climate change that is to blame. Investments in upgrading and maintaining sewerage and run-offs systems have not kept up with urbanization and the money diverted to other projects (hint – corruption). This is further compounded by the irregular trash collection which has blocked drains and made efficient sewage flows impossible. These are solvable problems. Perhaps handing this responsibility and funding over to the municipal bodies that are directly affected may be a positive first step. 

For a heart-breaking report on the suffering in Lebanon, you may want to turn to this report.

-ATFL Vice President Jean AbiNader

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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.

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Lebanon Daily News Brief 12/15/2022







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December 15th, 2022

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DAILY NEWS

Documentary Short Produced by UNC’s Khayrallah Center Earns Best Film in Category at Tokyo Film Festival
According to The 961, “The Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies’ documentary, ‘Herbert Nassour: The People’s Doctor,’ received the Best Short Documentary at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival. The documentary was released in June 2022 and talks about the Lebanese-American surgeon, Herbert Nassour, who tried to fight injustice by providing healthcare to racially and economically vulnerable people in Texas.”
 [The 961]

UNIFIL Peace Keeper Killed in Action in South of Lebanon
According to Reuters, “The two [of UNIFIL’s] armoured vehicles effectively got separated. One of them got surrounded by a hostile mob, I think that’s the only way you could describe them, and shots were fired. Unfortunately, one of our peacekeepers was killed,’ [Ireland’s Foreign Minister, Simon] Coveney told Irish national broadcaster RTE. ‘This was not expected. Yes there has been some tension on the ground between Hezbollah forces and UNIFIL in recent months but nothing like this,’ Coveney said.”
 [Reuters]

Lebanon Receives Additional Cholera Vaccines with Support from WHO
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanon received 900,000 additional doses of cholera vaccines on Wednesday with the support of the World Health Organization and International Coordination Group as part of the vaccination campaign’s second phase.”
 [L’Orient Today]

Lebanese Parliament Fails to Elect President in 2022
According to Arab News, “Lebanese parliament has failed for the 10th time to elect a president on Thursday, prolonging an institutional void amid a deep economic crisis.”
 [Arab News]

Ministers Reported to Convene Tomorrow
According to Naharnet, “Ministers from the various political parties will meet on Friday to discuss the work of the caretaker government in light of the latest standoff between the Free Patriotic Movement and the rest of the government’s components. ‘A consultative ministerial meeting will be held tomorrow at 4pm at the Grand Serail to discuss the issue of mending the governmental rift and finding solutions for the current disputes,’ MTV reported.”
 [Naharnet]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Demise Of A Legend – The Lebanese Medical Sector
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “More than half of the country’s professional healthcare staff have chosen to emigrate, if they have not done so already, seeking better earnings so that they may feed their families and send their children to school. This has been the situation since the Beirut Port blast and the economic implosion that has left Lebanon dependent on international aid and remittances from overseas. Even if the government begins a process of paying its arrears, most hospitals are refusing to admit patients knowing that the country is bankrupt and neither the availability nor affordability of medical care will change soon.”

Read More Here

The National
In Lebanon, an NGO Spreads Christmas Joy to War-Injured Children

Nada Maucourant Atallah

Atallah writes, “Inara, an international charity, is organising a concert that features children affected by war.”

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.

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