G7 defense ministers concerned by attacks on peacekeepers, vow Kyiv support
G7 defense ministers concerned by attacks on peacekeepers, vow Kyiv support/node/2575970/world
G7 defense ministers concerned by attacks on peacekeepers, vow Kyiv support
Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, French Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Britain's Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Italy's Minister Guido Crosetto, Canada's Minister of National Bill Blair, German Minister Boris Pistorius, US Secretary of Lloyd J. Austin, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and pose for a photo during the G7 Ministers meeting in Naples, Italy October 19, 2024. (REUTERS)
G7 defense ministers concerned by attacks on peacekeepers, vow Kyiv support
“We are concerned by the latest events in Lebanon and the risk of further escalation. We express concern over all threats to UNIFIL’s security,” ministers’ said in a statement
They also underscored the group’s “intent to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, including military assistance in the short and long term”
Updated 56 sec ago
AFP
NAPLES, Italy: G7 defense ministers on Saturday met against the backdrop of multiple ongoing military conflicts, expressing concern over the escalation in Lebanon while pledging “unwavering support” for Ukraine.
Italy, holding the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven countries, organized the body’s first ministerial meeting dedicated to defense, staged in the southern city of Naples that is home to a NATO base.
At the top of the agenda was Russia’s war against Ukraine, now in its third year.
“We underscore our intent to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, including military assistance in the short and long term,” read the G7 defense ministers’ final statement that pledged “unwavering support.”
But the G7 defense ministers — from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Canada and the United States — also warned of the dangers of further intensification in the Middle East, including in Lebanon, where the United Nations has blamed Israel for strikes on UN peacekeepers.
“We are concerned by the latest events in Lebanon and the risk of further escalation. We express concern over all threats to UNIFIL’s security,” read a final statement from the ministers.
They also called on Iran to stop supporting Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met a Hamas representative in Istanbul on Saturday, according to the IRNA official news agency.
Demonstrators hold a banner which read as "Against the G7, wars and all the states, always and everywhere freedom," as the Group of Seven (G7) Defense Ministers summit is being held, in Naples on October 19, 2024. (ANSA/AFP)
The many, concurrent conflicts “highlight a deteriorated security framework with forecasts for the near future that cannot be positive,” said Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto at the start of the one-day meeting.
Those conflicts include instability in sub-Saharan Africa and growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The summit came two days after Israel announced it had killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel that triggered the devastating retaliatory war in Gaza.
Also in attendance were NATO chief Mark Rutte and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. Both echoed the words of US President Joe Biden that the death of Sinwar could mark an opportunity to bring about the end of hostilities.
“Certainly after the killing of Yahya Sinwar, a new perspective is open and we have to use it in order to reach a ceasefire, to release the remaining hostages and to look for a political perspective,” Borrell told journalists.
The morning session included discussions over recent strikes on UN peacekeepers UNIFIL in Lebanon, where Israel is also at war with Hamas ally Hezbollah.
Borrell suggested that the peacekeepers’ mandate should be beefed up by the UN Security Council to give them more scope to act amid repeated attacks on their positions, which they blame on Israeli forces.
“They cannot act by themselves, it is certainly a limited role,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Borrell wrote on social media that “a more robust mandate for UNIFIL” was needed.
In Lebanon on Friday, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed as “unacceptable” the recent strikes on UNIFIL.
Italy has around 1,000 troops in the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, which has soldiers from more than 50 countries.
The G7’s pledge of continued support for Ukraine comes as the country enters its third winter at war.
It is suffering battlefield losses in the east and faces the prospect of reduced US military support should Donald Trump be elected to the White House next month.
Biden urged NATO allies during a visit to Berlin on Friday not to step down in backing Ukraine. Supporters of Kyiv “cannot let up,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, under mounting pressure from Western allies to forge a winning strategy against Russia, on Thursday presented what he called a “victory plan” to the European Union and NATO.
Its main thrust is a call for immediate NATO membership, deemed unfeasible by alliance members.
It also seeks the clearance to strike military targets inside Russia with long-range weapons, and an undefined “non-nuclear strategic deterrence package” on Ukrainian territory.
Another worry for Ukraine are reports, based on South Korean intelligence, that North Korea is deploying large numbers of troops to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
NATO was not as yet able to confirm that intelligence, Rutte said on Friday.
Outside the meeting, in the streets of Naples, demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and the keffiyeh, a traditional scarf symbolising the Palestinian struggle against Israel. Some protesters clashed with police.
Ukraine launches drones at Moscow, western Russia, regional officials say
Russia’s air-defense units destroyed at least one drone flying toward Moscow, said the mayor of the Russian capital
Hours earlier, the mayor of Kyiv said Ukraine's air-defense units were trying to repel a new Russian air attack on the Ukrainiancapital
Updated 1 min 29 sec ago
Reuters
KYIV: Ukraine launched a series of drones targeting Moscow and western Russia, regional officials said early on Sunday, adding that there were no injuries or significant damage reported.
Russia’s air-defense units destroyed at least one drone flying toward Moscow, the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app.
According to preliminary information, there was no damage or casualties where debris fell in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region.
Drone debris sparked several short-lived fires in the Lipetsk region in southwestern Russia, the region’s governor said on Telegram. There were no injuries reported, he added.
Hours earlier, the mayor of Kyiv said Ukraine's air-defense units were in operation trying to repel a new Russian air attack on the capital city.
“Stay in shelters!” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app.
Governors of the Bryansk and Oryol region, also in western parts of Russia, reported that air defense units destroyed several drones there.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Kyiv has often said in the past that its air attacks target infrastructure key to Russia’s war efforts and are a response to Moscow’s continued air attacks on Ukraine.
Russian officials often do not disclose full extent of damage inflicted by the drone attacks, especially on military, transport or energy infrastructure.
US investigating unauthorized release of classified documents on Israel attack plans
The documents note that Israel continues to move military assets in place to conduct a military strike against Iran
Marked top secret, the documents were posted online to Telegram and first reported by CNN and Axios
Updated 26 min 39 sec ago
AP
WASHINGTON: The US is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran, three US officials told The Associated Press. A fourth US official said the documents appear to be legitimate.
The documents are attributed to the US Geospatial Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and note that Israel continues to move military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the US, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted online to Telegram and first reported by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the US intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said.
The documents emerged as the US has urged Israel to take advantage of its elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and press for a ceasefire in Gaza, and has likewise urgently cautioned Israel not to further expand military operations in the north in Lebanon and risk a wider regional war. However, Israel’s leadership has repeatedly stressed it will not let Iran’s missile attack go unanswered.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it was aware of the reports of the documents but did not have further comment.
UK’s Starmer tells Netanyahu ‘alarmed’ by drone attack near residence
Starmer also “stressed the importance of getting much more aid into Gaza” it said, echoing similar calls made Friday in the joint statement he made along with the leaders of France, Germany and the US
Updated 20 October 2024
AFP
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that he was “alarmed to hear about the drone launched toward” his residence earlier Saturday, the UK leader’s office said.
Netanyahu has accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of trying to assassinate him, after his office said a drone was launched Saturday toward his residence in the central town of Caesarea while he and his wife were elsewhere.
Iran’s United Nations mission later said that Lebanon’s Hezbollah group — armed and financed by Tehran — was behind the drone attack, which Netanyahu’s office has noted caused no injuries.
“The prime minister said he was alarmed to hear about the drone launched toward Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home this morning,” Starmer’s office said in a summary of the two leaders’ afternoon phone call.
“They discussed the situation in the Middle East following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who the prime minister said was a brutal terrorist and that the world is a better place without him,” it added.
London’s readout of the discussion noted they also talked about “the opportunity presented by Sinwar’s death to halt the fighting and get the hostages out.”
Starmer also “stressed the importance of getting much more aid into Gaza” it said, echoing similar calls made Friday in the joint statement he made along with the leaders of France, Germany and the US.
Kamala Harris says she won’t give up pushing for end to Israel-Gaza war
Harris acknowledged challenges ahead but told reporters she would continue to push for an end to the conflict
Harris on Friday won the endorsements of 50 prominent Lebanese-Americans, who said the US had been “unrelenting” in its support for Lebanon under the Biden administration
Updated 20 October 2024
Reuters
DETROIT, Michigan: US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday repeated her call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war in Gaza and said it was important to seize the opportunity provided by the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack.
Harris acknowledged challenges ahead but told reporters she would continue to push for an end to the conflict.
“This creates an opening that I believe we must take full advantage of — to dedicate ourselves to ending this war and bringing the hostages home,” she said.
“As it relates to the issues in the Middle East and in particular in that region, it has never been easy. But that doesn’t mean we give up. It’s always going to be difficult. We can’t give up.”
Harris dodged a question on whether Arab American and Muslim anger over US support for Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza and more recently in Lebanon could cost her the election in the battleground state of Michigan, but said she would continue speaking out about the tragic loss of innocent lives.
“I speak publicly all the time about the fact that there are so many tragic stories coming from Gaza,” Harris said, also referencing the initial Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“What’s critically important as we look at this moment, is ... acknowledging the tragedy of what has happened in Gaza, in terms of the extraordinary number of innocent Palestinians that have been killed, and taking that seriously and speaking truth about that,” she said.
Harris and Trump are essentially tied in the most competitive states like Michigan, with just 17 days until the Nov. 5 election.
Harris will need strong results in the majority non-white cities of Detroit and Atlanta and their surrounding suburbs — both of which have large Arab American and Muslim populations — to repeat US President Joe Biden’s 2020 wins in Michigan and Georgia. Trump won Michigan by 11,000 votes in 2016. In 2020, Biden beat Trump by 155,000 votes.
Harris on Friday won the endorsements of 50 prominent Lebanese-Americans, who said the US had been “unrelenting” in its support for Lebanon under the Biden administration and that they expect additional backing if Harris wins in November.
The endorsement came amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon that have killed at least 2,350 people over the last year, according to the Lebanese health ministry, with more than 1.2 million people displaced. Hezbollah attacks have killed 50 Israeli soldiers and civilians, according to Israel.
The death toll has mounted in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attack that killed around 1,200 people, with another 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 42,500 people, Palestinian officials say.
Why the Arab-American vote is not just about the Middle East conflict
New survey conducted by Arab News and YouGov captures the nuances and complexities of the important demographic’s priorities
Al-Arabiya’s Joseph Haboush and Arab News’s Tarek Ali Ahmad analyzed the findings on the Ray Hanania Radio Show
Updated 20 October 2024
Ray Hanania & Gabriele Malvisi
CHICAGO/LONDON: The Arab American voter base, often viewed primarily through the lens of Middle East concerns like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, presents a far more nuanced picture in the upcoming US elections, experts have told Arab News.
Discussing the preview of a new survey conducted by Arab News and YouGov, Joseph Haboush, Washington correspondent for Al Arabiya English, and Tarek Ali Ahmad, head of Arab News’ Research & Studies Unit, said that while the Palestinian issue remains significant, Arab Americans are equally focused on domestic issues like the economy, border security and hate speech.
“The issue of Palestine is not as prevalent among the Arab American voters as one might think,” Haboush said.
The poll results suggest that Arab American voters are focused on both domestic issues and the Middle East conflict, but believe that Trump, rather than Harris, is more likely to end the ongoing wars. (Getty Images/File)
A Lebanese American, Haboush said that many Arab Americans, particularly those of Lebanese origin, have conflicting views on Palestine due to Lebanon’s own complex history with the Palestinian community during its civil war.
Some blame the Palestinians for their role in the conflict, while others view the matter differently, Haboush said during the taping of “The Ray Hanania Radio Show” on Thursday.
“It’s interesting that it might not be as high of a priority among the Arab American voters as an outsider might think.”
The poll results suggest that Arab American voters are focused on both domestic issues and the Middle East conflict, but believe that Trump, rather than Harris, is more likely to end the ongoing wars. (Getty Images/File)
Lebanon’s demographic shift, fueled by the influx of Palestinians in 1948 and 1967, contributed to tensions that culminated in the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990.
The conflict, pitting Palestinian and Lebanese Muslim forces against Christian militias, drew in regional powers like Syria, Israel and Iran, leading to devastating consequences.
The war left Lebanon in a fragile sectarian balance that persists today.
A cloud of smoke erupts following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
Many Lebanese fled the violence, seeking refuge in the US and Europe, where they established communities that, while preserving Lebanese heritage, have become increasingly integrated into local society and politics.
With the 2024 election shaping up to be a head-to-head race between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, Arab American voters are weighing multiple priorities. The survey shows that these voters, who have often been portrayed as a monolithic bloc driven by foreign policy, are just as concerned about bread-and-butter issues facing their daily lives.
This signals a shift in priorities, where domestic economic challenges are competing with longstanding foreign policy issues for Arab Americans’ attention.
“The poll that was conducted by YouGov and Arab News essentially revealed that Arab Americans are nearly evenly split in their support for two major presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris,” Arab News’s Ali Ahmad said.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaign in the US state of Michigan, a key battleground state for the two candidates, on October 19, 2024. (Getty Images/AFP)
He added that while only 4 percent favored third-party candidate Jill Stein — known for criticizing US support for Israel — a small segment of undecided voters could play a crucial role, particularly in battleground states such as Michigan, where the Arab American community could sway the election outcome.
The Biden administration has faced heavy criticism for its unwavering support of Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah, pushing the region to the brink of a wider conflict involving Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.”
The alliance, comprising Tehran-backed militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, has fueled a tit-for-tat escalation of violence, with diplomats worldwide scrambling to prevent further chaos.
Haboush argued that Washington, despite co-leading negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, has failed to effectively leverage its diplomatic power, “putting a bit of a dent on the US image abroad”
Despite that, 52 percent of Arab Americans surveyed want the US to either maintain or increase its military presence in the region, Haboush highlighted.
“They want the US to kind of work its diplomatic channels, (and) at the same time they don’t want the US to leave, according to this poll, at least from a military point of view. Because, I think, the belief is that once the military presence is gone, just the overall interest is gone,” Haboush said, adding that the survey results reflect a belief in the value of US involvement, despite recent diplomatic shortcomings.
This sentiment emerged as Israel on Thursday confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks where 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and 250 abducted, killed during a patrol in Rafah in southern Gaza.
Sinwar’s death, widely seen as pivotal, could mark a new phase in the conflict that has claimed more than 42,000 lives in Gaza and more than 2,400 in Lebanon, following clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
In this Oct. 21, 2011 photo, Yahya Sinwar, a founder of Hamas' military wing, talks during a rally in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/File)
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on, some officials view Sinwar’s death as a potential opening for peace, providing a chance for the more than year-long conflict in Gaza to finally end, and for Israeli hostages to be brought home.
With less than 20 days until the election, analysts expect that US President Joe Biden may seize this window to push for a ceasefire, a move that could influence the election and boost the campaign of Kamala Harris, who is viewed by respondents of the survey as less likely to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict compared to Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“There’s a notable division in who Arab Americans believe is better to handle the situation (in Gaza and Lebanon). Many of them feel that both candidates are simply incapable regarding Middle East issues,” Ali Ahmad said, adding that “a significant enough amount (of voters) to alter this election” have veered toward Stein in protest of US foreign policy.
Poll by the US civil rights group ADC in July showing independent presidential aspirant Jill Stein being a better option by American Muslims to the Republican and Democratic nominees. (ADC image
“The results showed that a majority of those polled, 40 percent, considered themselves as Democrat, while 28 percent considered themselves Republican,” he said.
“Yet, they found that Donald Trump was more likely to be the person who would be able to end the Palestine-Israel conflict.”
The fact that “the person that’s closer to the aggressor” is seen as more likely to resolve the conflict, is “kind of paradoxical in a sense,” Ali Ahmad added.
Further complicating the picture, more than one-third of respondents expressed equal support for both a two-state solution and a one-state model, where Israelis and Palestinians share equal rights.
As Haboush said on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show,” the Palestinian issue, while important, does not entirely overshadow other regional concerns.
He argued that people are still deeply invested in what happens in the Middle East, particularly the situation with Iran, highlighting his belief that Arab Americans supposedly wanting a more “hawkish approach” over a diplomatic one “wasn’t 100-percent accurate.”
Haboush said that although foreign policy is relevant, the 2024 election will likely be driven by domestic issues that deeply resonate with Arab American voters, such as the economy, border control and discrimination. The survey, designed to provide clearer insights into Arab American priorities, reveals a much more nuanced picture than anticipated.
“If you look domestically, the voter base would traditionally align with the conservative party,” Haboush said. “Even when you look at foreign policy, I thought a lot (of people) preferred this more hawkish approach, yet the poll says a little bit otherwise.”
He also pointed out that the younger generation of Arab Americans, many of whom have been vocal on social media about the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and may be first-time voters, adds another layer of complexity. “So, it’s just difficult to gauge,” he said.
With the election approaching and the race in a tight balance, Haboush said that both candidates are increasingly aware of the Arab American vote’s importance. This has been reflected in growing media attention to the demographic, as campaigns focus on undecided voters in key battleground states.
“The mainstream media in the US don’t understand the diversity of the Arab American community,” he said. “For decades, the Arab American has just been portrayed as a victim of war and conflict immigration.
Haboush criticized the media for selective coverage, saying that outlets “cover the Arab American polling in great detail (because) it fits into some sort of narrative … (but) don’t see the productive role that they’ve played generation after generation in this country, and a number of factors playing to that.”
The full survey, set to be released in the coming days, promises more detailed insights into Arab American voting patterns and the issues shaping their decisions, on one of the most anticipated elections in recent history.
As the US prepares for a head-to-head race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the Arab American vote may prove more pivotal — and complex — than ever before.
“The Ray Hanania Radio Show” airs every Thursday on the U.S. Arab Radio Network on WNZK AM 690 Radio in Michigan at 5 p.m. EST, with a rebroadcast the following Monday. The show, sponsored by Arab News, is also available via podcast at ArabNews.com.rayradioshow and Facebook.com/ArabNews.
