Pope deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’
Pope deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’/node/2545086/middle-east
Pope deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’
Pope Francis blesses a baby as he arrives to lead a mass during a pastoral visit on the occasion of the 50th Social Week of Italian Catholics, on July 7, 2024 at Piazza dell'Unita in Trieste. (File/AFP)
Pope deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’
Without naming any countries, the pope warned against “ideological temptations and populists” on the day that France holds the second round of parliamentary vote
Updated 08 July 2024
AFP
VATICAN: Pope Francis decried the state of democracy and warned against “populists” during a short visit to Trieste in Italy’s northeast on Sunday ahead of a 12-day trip to Asia — the longest of his papacy.
“Democracy is not in good health in the world today,” Francis said during a speech at the city’s convention center to close a national Catholic event.
Without naming any countries, the pope warned against “ideological temptations and populists” on the day that France holds the second round of a snap parliamentary vote that looks set to see the far-right National Rally (RN) party take the largest share of the vote.
“Ideologies are seductive. Some people compare them to the Pied Piper of Hamelin: they seduce but lead you to deny yourself,” he said in reference to the German fairytale.
“The culture of rejection creates a city where there is no place for the poor, the unborn, the fragile, the sick, children, women, the young,” he regretted, urging facilitation of social participation from childhood.
Ahead of last month’s European parliament elections, bishops in several countries also warned about the rise of populism and nationalism, with far-right parties already holding the reins to power in Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands.
Francis also urged people to “move away from polarizations that impoverish” and hit out at “self-referential power.”
After Venice in April and Verona in May, the half-day trip to Trieste, a city of 200,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic Sea that borders Slovenia, marked the third one within Italy this year for the 87-year-old pontiff, who has suffered increasing health problems in recent years.
Since traveling to the French city of Marseille in September 2023, the Argentine Jesuit has limited himself to domestic travel.
But he plans to spend nearly two weeks in Asia in September visiting Indonesia, Singapore and the islands of Papua New Guinea and East Timor.
He arrived in Trieste shortly before 9:00 am (0600 GMT) and embarked on meetings with various groups from the religious and academic spheres, along with migrants and the disabled.
Pope Francis concluded his visit with a mass in front of some 8,500 worshippers in the city’s main public square before heading back to the Vatican in the early afternoon.
Saudi Arabia expresses concern over Lebanon situation, pledges medical and relief aid
Kingdom also urged international community to take responsibility for safeguarding regional security and peace
Reaffirmed its support for the Lebanese people
Updated 1 min 22 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has expressed deep concern over the recent developments in Lebanon, calling for the preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Kingdom reaffirmed its support for the Lebanese people as they face the repercussions of ongoing events and emphasized the need to mitigate their humanitarian impact.
Saudi Arabia also urged the international community to take responsibility for safeguarding regional security and peace, stressing the importance of preventing further conflicts and tragedies in the region.
In line with its commitment to supporting Lebanon, the Kingdom’s leadership issued directives to provide urgent medical and relief aid to the Lebanese people.
This assistance aims to help Lebanon navigate its current challenges and alleviate the critical circumstances affecting the nation, SPA added.
Saudi Al-Huwaizi appointed as president of Union of Arab Chambers
Appointment made during UAC’s 135th session, being held in Doha
Updated 26 min 53 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Union of Arab Chambers appointed Hassan bin Moejeb Al-Huwaizi, President of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, as its first Vice President, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The appointment was made during the UAC’s 135th session, which is being held in Doha.
In addition to his new role, Al-Huwaizi holds several prominent positions, including VP of the Federation of GCC Chambers, and president of the Abha Chamber, SPA added.
He thanked the Union of Arab Chambers for its confidence in his abilities, and Al-Huwaizi emphasized the need to strengthen intra-Arab trade.
Currently, intra-Arab trade constitutes just 13.8 percent of the total foreign trade of Arab countries, a figure he described as modest compared to other regional economic blocs.
Al-Huwaizi urged for intensified efforts to eliminate regulatory, customs, and procedural barriers that hinder trade among Arab nations.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Bird Photographer of the Year’
Updated 44 min 51 sec ago
Arab News
Author: FOREWARD BY SIMON KING
The “Bird Photographer of the Year” is a competition that celebrates the artistry of bird photography from around the world, and this beautiful, large-format book showcases the best images from the contest—some of the most stunning bird photographs ever taken.
A gorgeous record of avian beauty and diversity across the globe, the book demonstrates the dedication and passion of bird photographers and the incredible quality of today’s digital imaging systems.
Frankly Speaking: Is a new civil war inevitable in Lebanon?
Far from deepening sectarianism, Israeli strikes are creating solidarity between Lebanon’s factions, says health minister
Dr. Firass Abiad accuses Israel of refusing to negotiate an end to conflict and of committing war crimes by killing health personnel
Updated 49 min 54 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: Hassan Nasrallah, the longstanding Hezbollah leader who was killed in an Israeli strike on his Beirut stronghold over the weekend, was the author of deep divisions in Lebanon, which have long threatened to drag the nation back into the mire of civil war.
Since the latest hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah suddenly escalated in mid-September, reports have circulated on social media about flare-ups in sectarian tensions in different parts of Lebanon as a result of mass displacement of people from the south.
Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Firass Abiad, Lebanon’s minister of public health, insisted the conflict had not created a sectarian split in society, as even many Shiites, who form Hezbollah’s support base, now appear to oppose the militia’s actions.
“There’s clearly a lot of people in Lebanon who oppose the politics and what Hezbollah is doing. There’s no denying that, if you talk to people,” Abiad told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.
“This is across the board. This is not sectarian, (it’s) among all sects, including Shittes, you have people who oppose Hezbollah.”
Dr. Firass Abiad, Lebanon’s minister of public health, insisted the conflict had not created a sectarian split in society, even as many Shiites, who form Hezbollah’s support base, appear to oppose the militia’s actions. (AN photo)
At the same time, however, Abiad said Israel’s strikes on Lebanon had created a spirit of solidarity across Lebanon’s multiconfessional society, similar to the sympathy generated across the Arab world for the Palestinians — even among those who oppose Hamas — in the wake of Israel’s assault on Gaza.
“What Israel is doing by these indiscriminate attacks, when they attack a Christian or even when they are attacking Shiite areas … this will only increase the feeling of solidarity with the community where Hezbollah is based,” he said.
“We’ve seen this also with Gaza. If you look at the Arab world, the support for Hamas is not high. But when people see the atrocities, the carnage that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza, I think that, unanimously, a lot of people have a lot of sympathy with the people of Palestine.
“And Israel, in the way it is conducting its war on Lebanon, has fostered this environment of solidarity.”
Abiad said this sense of solidarity was evident on Sept. 16 and 17, when Hezbollah communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, exploded simultaneously in a coordinated attack blamed on Israel that killed at least 32 and injured more than 3,000.
“You could see this on the day of the attack on the explosive devices,” said Abiad. “We at the Ministry of Health were sending patients all across the country because we had to have a full response from all hospitals.
“And even when we were sending patients into hospitals that were in areas that are politically, or from a religious perspective, diametrically opposite to Hezbollah, the people who were injured were welcomed, they were cared for, they were given attention.
“This is something that Israel has repeatedly failed to understand; that its indiscriminate targeting or its dehumanization of all, for example, Arabs, or communities, would only lead to more sympathy with the ‘said’ enemies.”
On Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah had been killed in an Israeli strike on the group’s Dahiyeh stronghold in Beirut. The attack follows days of Israeli strikes across Lebanon, which, as of Saturday, had left 1,030 people — including 156 women and 87 children — dead.
Hezbollah began rocketing northern Israel last October in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza. Israel retaliated by mounting strikes on Hezbollah targets.
Since mid-September, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets across the country have rapidly escalated. However, the roots of the conflict run deeper than last October. The two sides have been locked in an intermittent confrontation since the Lebanese civil war.
Hezbollah was formed during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Major escalations occurred in 1993, 1996, and particularly in 2006, when a full-scale war erupted, causing significant destruction in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has since strengthened its military capabilities, while maintaining its role in Lebanese politics. Tensions continued, with periodic border clashes, as the group has evolved into a key player in the broader Israel-Iran proxy conflict.
Israel withdrew its troops from Lebanon in 2000, creating the possibility of stability for Lebanon. However, territorial disputes remained, which Hezbollah exploited to build support and to justify continued resistance to Israel.
Does a share of the blame for the continuation of hostilities, therefore, belong to Hezbollah?
“No, that’s the exact opposite,” said Abiad. “If you go back to the UN resolutions — especially 1701. In 1701, it was very clear that, first of all, Israel has to withdraw from all the areas in Lebanon, which did not happen. And up till now, Israel still occupies Lebanese territory.”
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, ending the Lebanon War. It demanded the disarmament of Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of Lebanese and UN peacekeeping troops to stabilize the region and prevent future conflict.
“Secondly, it very clearly mentioned that Israel should not violate Lebanese airspace, which also did not happen; Israel has been violating Lebanese airspace continuously since the 2000 partial withdrawal from Lebanon,” said Abiad.
“So, indeed, unfortunately, these actions by Israel gave the pretext for Hezbollah to continue today what it is doing now. But let’s be very clear, Israel didn’t fulfill that part of 1701. And even now, Lebanon is saying we are ready to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions.”
One particularly irksome issue relates to the Shebaa Farms — a dispute that centers on a small strip of land claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel since 1967.
While Israel and the UN consider it part of Syria’s Golan Heights, Lebanon argues the area is Lebanese, fueling tensions, especially involving Hezbollah, over its sovereignty.
Given what is now occurring in Lebanon, does Abiad believe continuing the Shebaa Farms dispute with Israel has been worthwhile? Surely a negotiated deal would have been a far better option?
“But that depends on the other party accepting a negotiation,” said Abiad. “And, up to now, it has been very clear that Israel is not interested in a negotiated outcome.”
Whoever is ultimately to blame for prolonging the conflict, the result today is mass displacement, civilians killed, thousands injured, and public health system under extreme strain.
The ongoing conflict has created a massive humanitarian crisis, with widespread displacement across the country. According to the Lebanese government’s estimates, nearly 500,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to escalating violence.
Abiad highlighted the magnitude of the displacement from the south. “Before the attacks, the number released by the disaster management side was 130,000 displaced,” he said.
“Remember that by that time, there was an escalation of hostilities by Israel, and the populations were internally displaced still into southern areas.”
Abiad said the Lebanese government has established 400 public shelters, which currently house about 70,000 people. However, he said the total number of displaced people is far higher.
“We estimate that usually, from our past experience in the 2006 war, the number of people, whether they are living with friends, family, in homes they rented, or even across the border into neighboring countries, is four to five times as many as there are in shelters,” he said.
“And that’s why we really believe that the tally of people who have been displaced is probably around 400,000 to 500,000.”
The pressure on hospitals, in particular, is reaching breaking point.
“The daily tally of casualties keeps rising, as hospitals get overwhelmed with casualties,” said Abiad. “Can we continue all this? The answer is we are working at nearly full capacity, I would say. And it is becoming more tough as the war drags on.”
He added: “I think the most challenging would be fuel. I think that, concerning nurses, hospital beds, medical supplies, medications, as I said, we have been stocking up on our inventory. But really, fuel is going to be a critical issue.
“Hospitals, ambulances, they all require fuel to function. Now we have been increasing the renewable-energy budgets in our hospitals — 15 of our public hospitals now have renewable energy, constituting almost 40 percent of their energy requirements.
“Almost 200 of our primary health care centers now completely can work or function on renewable energy. But clearly I would say fuel is going to be critical if there is a further escalation.”
On top of this, Abiad accused Israel of deliberately targeting medical personnel — something he says constitutes a war crime.
“Do we consider this a war crime? Of course, we consider this a war crime,” said Abiad, adding that this was not just the view of the Lebanese government but echoed by international legal bodies.
“When we listen to the International Court of Justice, these are the experts on what is international humanitarian law and whether it has been violated. So these are the experts telling us that what Israel is doing constitutes war crimes.”
US boosts air support and hikes troop readiness to deploy for Middle East
Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign
Updated 55 min 9 sec ago
Reuters
WASHINGTON: The US military said on Sunday it was increasing its air support capabilities in the Middle East and putting troops on a heightened readiness to deploy to the region as it warned Iran against expanding the ongoing conflict.
The announcement came two days after President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to adjust US force posture in the Middle East amid intensifying concern that Israel’s killing of the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah could prompt Tehran to retaliate.
“The US is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
He also cautioned that if Iran or groups Tehran backs “use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the US will take every necessary measure to defend our people.” The Pentagon statement offered few clues as to the size or scope of the new air deployment, saying only that “we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days.”
Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign.
The strikes have dealt a stunning succession of blows to Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fire, killing much of its leadership and revealing gaping security holes.
However, it has also raised questions about Washington’s publicly declared goals of containing the conflict and safeguarding US personnel throughout the Middle East.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that the US was watching to see what Hezbollah does to try to fill its leadership vacuum “and is continuing to talk to the Israelis about what the right next steps are.”
The US State Department has yet to order an evacuation from Lebanon.
But last week, US officials told Reuters the Pentagon was sending a few dozen additional troops to Cyprus to help the military prepare for scenarios including an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.
The Pentagon said US forces were being made ready to deploy if needed.
“(Austin) increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” Ryder said in a statement.
