TOWARD A NEW HUMAN AND THEOLOGICAL VOCABULARY

 

FOSNA

Friends of Sabeel  North America.

A Christian voice for Palestine

by Jonathan Kuttab

Let us offer, then, as a working principle the following: No statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children.

-Rabbi Irving Greenberg

The above statement, made in response to the deplorable silence of Christians during the Holocaust, launched an entire school of post-Holocaust theological studies, becoming in essence a moral litmus test against which all theological (and perhaps ideological and political) positions were to be tested.

As the events in Gaza continue to unfold, but this time committed in broad daylight and broadcast for all to see, with images of maimed and starved children becoming a sight impossible to ignore, I am wondering what impact this would have on current and future theological thought and political ideologies. Apart from the obvious racism, which does not view Palestinian lives and children as being remotely equal to European Jewish lives and children, the moral and theological questions raised are actually one and the same.

How can churches explain or justify their current silence, timidity, and indeed complicity in the ongoing genocide? How do we understand their toleration of and support for apartheid, genocide, and grossly discriminatory policies? How can we make sense of their support for Christian Zionism and their normalization of moral and ethical double standards. As Rev. Munther Isaac has repeatedly pointed out, this is not merely the problem of evangelical and dispensationalist churches caught up in eschatological end-times fantasies, but it is also found within mainline churches as well, wherein religious and scriptural language and images are utilized to foster a default support for Zionism and the state of Israel. 

Perhaps once the dust settles down and universal outrage overtakes the entrenched centers of power and complacency, a similar process will take place and a commitment made to accept a new working principle: that no statement, theological or otherwise, be made unless it is credible in the presence of starved Palestinian children.

When that happens, we will need to reexamine our hymns and Sunday School curricula, our lectionaries and liturgies, reading them not only in light of Jesus’ New Testament message of the Kingdom of God, which rejected both Jewish tribalism and territoriality but also to make sure that any theological concept or system is  credible in the presence of emaciated children. Concepts such as “Chosen People,” “children of Abraham,” “promised land,”and “covenant relationship,” the printed maps in our Bibles and commentaries, and “talk of God’s plans for mankind” as well as the very nature of God may need to be reexamined, properly deconstructed, and entirely reconstituted such that they might be found credible in the presence of deliberately starved, maimed, and murdered children of Palestine.

Beyond theology, we also need to re-examine our political language. Terms like “shared values,” “Israel’s right to defend itself,” "Judaeo-Christian,” “reliable allies,” “the only democracy in the Middle East,” “the civilized world,”  “exceptionalism,” “terrorism,” “total victory,”  “international law” and even “human rights” need to be reexamined and redefined. Understanding these terms properly must be done in terms that are credible “in the presence of starved children.” Any statement employing these terms will have to be reexamined and defined in a manner that is credible and meaningful after the horrors of Gaza. 

We may also need to learn from past history just how easily a victim can become a victimizer and how a victim mentality can be abused to provide justifications for further outrages. Both Israelis and Palestinians will need to know that their victimhood does not grant them exceptionalism or provide an excuse to perpetrate outrages themselves when they have the power or ability to do so. Universal principles and robust international organizations must be established and strengthened to ensure that such inhuman practices are never again to be allowed or tolerated. People of conscience, particularly faith communities, will need to learn to uphold their principles with equal vigor and principled dedication regardless of who the victim or perpetrator is, and whether or not the prevailing power structures of the age permit or tolerate their outrages.

And maybe we do not need to wait until all this comes about in the future. We can start now. Let us offer, then, as a working principle the following: No statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of starved children.

A very good analysis by the inspired Jonathan Kuttab, it is indeed a highly needed and required reorganization of our world wide definitions and applications of human rights, dignity and our behavior toward each other. 

As always, my many thanks to all. 

THE SIMPLE TRUTH... AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

 

Now China has declared all its present and future power.
And there is Russia, North Korea and India
And of course Brazil, and of course with the presence of 20 leaders of countries of this size and also of all sizes, are celebrating today, yesterday and every day in Beijing, Moscow, North Korea’s maneuvers and others, plus of course a silent and hidden BRICS that could open up any day.  

So from this day on we will wait to see what they will offer to Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian people inside occupied Palestine.
To the people of Palestine in the diaspora

Show us your muscles and brains
Your weapons are extraordinary and beyond imagination.
And supernatural for the children, mothers, youth and elderly of the destroyed Gaza
Heads of its people directly and live
Show us your morals if you have any!?!??
Show us your conscience, if you have any, to prove that you are different from America and the colonial West.
You are not the island of Bahrain, nor Abu Dhabi, nor Dubai
Nor Mecca
You are gods on earth by your power
You were and became the giants of the world
Show us your people, at least they are allowed to demonstrate in the thousands and millions as well
It has been happening for two years in the heart of the colonial West.
Show us that you differ morally from Western colonialism, despite
The people of the West have the right at least to demonstrate and shout in the face of the rulers.
Even in the heart of the White House, even in the heart of Congress, and even in the heart of meetings.
And celebrations when a woman or a man screams
They suddenly raise and shake the place with their voice and by raising the Palestinian flag, even in American and European universities.
Even in the middle of the European Parliament
Show us that you are at least like the people and government of Spain, Ireland and other European countries, where at least they do not imprison or execute those who demonstrate and disturb the peace of your conferences.
Even in the presence of the President of America or the President of any European country
Finally, show us your political, economic and military support, even if it is at its minimum, for the sake of Palestine, which has been officially usurped, imprisoned and slaughtered with the support of all those with a veto, without exception, from you and others, and from the moment of officially recognizing the invasions, settlers and occupiers of the land of Palestine since 1948, including the Soviet Union and Russia today.
Come on, show us your fangs to protect what remains of Palestine and its olive trees instead.
Watching the massacre and genocide in Palestine and the slaughter of children in front of television cameras, you clowns with weapons decorations for festivals
What else are you afraid of with these military and nuclear arsenals?
We are waiting for at least one stand from you, you old fools and fraudsters...
It seems that you are just a complete group about and along Western colonialism
And from the beasts of this great jungle in the world, you are driven by animal instincts.
It is time for you to prove that you are better than Western colonialism... and that you are not the most negative influence by your silence on these public crimes.
There is little time left between us and you
Let's see if you're more or less an addition to a military parade.
Suitable
On display at the Wax Museum in London
At least let us hear your voice
If you have any voice from
Yes, right
and justice.

As received, originally in Arabic, a truly and simple look at all the great nations of the world, and their attitudes and reactions to the most horrific mass crimes of any recent memories, It is time for a collective wake-up and some positive action, instead of turning the blind eye and ignoring what's happening, and allowing the genocide and massacres and barbaric colonization to go on.....

My sincere many thanks to all my good readers and listeners.    

A POSITIVE GUIDE TO AI....

 

Stephen’s guide to AI

Editor’s note: Happy Labor Day! While our office and the markets are closed today, we wanted to share something important with you.

This special artificial intelligence (AI) guide—originally published in The Rational Optimist Society—dives into the different ways Stephen uses AI to get a lot more done in a lot less time.

With AI accelerating faster than ever, this is essential reading for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve… and start incorporating AI into your own life.

***

We've seen amazing advances lately, from SpaceX landing rockets like darts to Boom Supersonic bringing supersonic jets back.

AI is different. It's not locked away in some research lab. It's available on your laptop right now, ready to help you work smarter, think better, and create more.

This isn’t a 10,000-word manual covering every possible way to use AI. That would be like writing a guide to the web in 1995—obsolete before the ink dries. AI is evolving so quickly that today's uses might look quaint compared to what's coming next month.

Instead, I’ll tell you how I’ve used AI to get a lot more done in a lot less time.

Six months ago, I was exactly where you might be now. AI was more frustrating than helpful. Then I tried the latest versions. Now, I can't imagine working without it.

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Imagine having a brilliant personal assistant who never sleeps, crunches complex data in seconds, and creates custom lessons for your kids. 

That’s just a taste of what AI can do for you today.

There are many “AIs,” each with their own strengths. ChatGPT is your reliable all-rounder. Claude is the creativity king. Perplexity is your research ace.

• Pro tip: skip the free versions. For $20 a month, you can access the premium AI models that are dramatically more capable.

Claude is my chatbot of choice. I use it at least 50 times a day. That $20 monthly subscription is the best money I spend. I'd pay $200 without blinking for the productivity boost.

Don't start by asking, "How do I use AI?" Instead, think about what you want to achieve.

Learning Spanish? AI is your patient tutor, available 24/7 for conversation practice.

Building a business plan? It's like having a Harvard MBA on speed dial. Need to teach your kid geometry? It'll create custom practice problems that adjust to their level, complete with step-by-step explanations.

You'll find your own way to use these tools. I'm here to show you what's possible, and I can't wait to hear how you end up using it.

Forget needing 10,000 hours to master a skill. You can get surprisingly good at AI in about 10 hours.

It's 7 am. My desk is buried under hundreds of pages of notes about AI, robotics, and breakthrough tech. I love this stuff. I’d happily spend weeks diving deep into these innovation rabbit holes. But there's a problem.

All these fascinating notes need to become something useful for you, our readers. And that's when the fear hits. The blank page stares back and my brain is frozen, wondering how to connect these ideas.

This was my every-morning battle. Then I hired the perfect writing partner: AI.

I dump all my research into Claude. My “prompt” is simple: "Using these notes, write an essay on [topic]."

Claude spits out a terrible first draft in seconds. Yes, terrible. But it conquers the blank page and gets my creative juices flowing. It's like having a brainstorming buddy who's always ready to riff on ideas.

I end up throwing away 99% of what AI writes. What matters is AI gets you unstuck and shows you angles you might have missed entirely.

AI then becomes my ruthless editor. Need simpler language? More concrete examples? All you have to do is ask. Get creative: "Explain this like Warren Buffett would." 

AI’s real superpower is speed and instant feedback. Instead of wrestling with a stubborn paragraph for an hour, I can ask for 10 different ways to explain the same idea in minutes.

• Pro tip: give AI context. The more background you provide, the better your results. Treat AI like a new team member. The more it knows, the more helpful it’ll be.

Getting up to speed on a new topic used to mean days of reading, hoping you didn't miss something crucial. Those days are over.

Before digging into a topic, I’ll ask AI to serve up the 10 most important articles ever written on it. No more wandering through Google hoping to strike gold.

AI is a shockingly good research filter. Instead of drowning in dense academic papers, I have Claude analyze them and pull out the key insights.

The trick is being specific: "I'm trying to understand why supersonic jets couldn’t make money. What are the three strongest arguments in these papers?" 

Without clear direction, AI misses the mark.

Want to fast-track your learning? Try AI role play. "You're an experienced quantum computing researcher. You've just hired a junior researcher. What are the five most important things they need to understand about this subject and why?"

My friend and economist Tyler Cowen gave me a simple but powerful tip: Ask AI more questions. Treat AI like your intellectual sparring partner. It’s not Google. Don't just ask for facts. The best insights often come from the back-and-forth.

I was recently reading about Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks in Byrne Hobart's excellent new book, "Boom." I wondered about similar rapid innovation projects. One quick question to AI, and suddenly I had fascinating parallels from history. Before, this would have been days of research.

This is a revolution in reading. Every book is now a conversation. I bet within two years, you'll be able to highlight any passage on your Kindle and get AI commentary instantly.

AI isn’t perfect, but it does 80% of the research grunt work in 1% of the time. You now have a team of tireless research assistants at your fingertips. Learn to use them.

Two simple AI tricks that save me hours each week:

1. Taming YouTube. Found an interesting hour-long talk but don't have the time to watch it? I generate the video's transcript, feed it to AI, and ask it to pull out the five key points. No more skipping valuable content because I'm short on time.
2. Transcribing data. I needed data from some graphs in the book, "100 to 1 in the Stock Market." Instead of spending hours squinting and typing numbers, I asked AI to convert the image into usable data. What used to be mind-numbing transcription work now takes seconds.

This is just scratching the surface of how AI fits into my daily routine. Think of it as an incredibly versatile assistant that can guide you through almost anything.

Need market updates? ChatGPT's new "Tasks" feature will check the S&P 500 chart each morning and give you the highlights.

Ask yourself: What routine work makes you less valuable? What tasks serve no real purpose and numb your brain? That's your AI opportunity list right there.

The goal isn't to replace thinking. It's to give you more time for it. Let AI handle the grunt work so you can focus on what we humans do best: spotting unexpected patterns, developing fresh insights, and solving thorny problems in creative ways.

"Dad, how do airplanes fly?" You know that moment when your child asks a fascinating question, and you fumble through an explanation.

That's where my journey with AI at home began. It's transformed how I teach my six-year-old daughter.

Instead of muttering something vague, I turned to Claude and asked it to create an interactive game showing how airplanes fly.

Within seconds, it spat out a simple but engaging simulation. Soon we were playing with a model where my daughter would change wing angles and air speed, watching in real time as her "airplane" soared or dipped.

Source: Claude

AI transforms how kids learn. As parents (and grandparents), it’s our duty to know this stuff.

Remember in The Matrix where Neo instantly "downloads" kung fu into his brain? That's basically possible with coding now.

When Apple debuted the App Store, it sparked a gold rush and created billion-dollar companies like Instagram and Uber, along with tens of thousands of high-paying coding jobs. But there was always a velvet rope: You needed to speak the language of computers, aka code. Not anymore.

Now you can create software by simply describing what you want in plain English. It's like having a world-class programmer on speed dial, ready to turn your ideas into reality.

Yes, AI is already world-class at coding. OpenAI's latest model ranks among the top 125 programmers globally. The founder of AI coding assistant Devon (a multiple-time world coding champion himself) says AI will be the world's best programmer within two years.

It’s telling that when Italy temporarily banned ChatGPT, coder productivity there dropped by 50%.

Earlier this year, our RiskHedge team analyzed every US stock from the last 20 years to uncover what the best performers had in common.

RiskHedge publisher Dan Steinhart spearheaded the project. Here’s Dan:

Pre-AI, this would have required data scientists, a six-figure budget, and probably a year.

Instead, it took two months and two $20/month AI subscriptions. Using mostly Claude, I wrote code and automated data acquisition from several different sources to ensure integrity. Then using mostly ChatGPT, I parsed the data to tease out the golden insights.

The craziest part: I had never written a single line of code in my life before this project.

We're entering an era where the question isn't, "Can you code?" but, "What do you want to build?" The next Uber or Instagram could come from a teacher with a vision to fix education, or a teenager with a wild idea and a laptop.

Why not have it come from you?

Try it. Think of a simple task you'd like to automate, maybe analyzing your monthly expenses. Describe it to AI in plain English and watch your idea come to life.

A fun example of what's now possible for us coding mortals:

I've been tracking my sleep, recovery, and strain (via Whoop) for about six months. I copied my personal data into an Excel file, uploaded it to Claude, and asked it to find patterns for improving my health.

In minutes, it created a detailed analysis with all kinds of insights like “don’t work out within two hours of bed” and “eat dinner earlier.” I even had it code a dashboard measuring my sleep patterns since our third child was born on November 22.

You can see my new son George has sunk me deep into “sleep debt!”

Source: Claude

Remember those $500 Rosetta Stone programs we bought to learn new languages? Those days are over.

I know multiple people using AI to learn Spanish, Hebrew, and other languages. AI builds you a personalized course, complete with exercises and role-playing scenarios. It grades your work, corrects your pronunciation, and adapts to your learning style. Why would anyone buy a textbook or sit through a lecture again?

AI also gives you an expert doctor in your pocket.

Take Susan Sheridan's story from The New York Times. Her face was drooping on one side, she couldn't speak clearly. The ER doctor sent her home, calling it "benign." Susan typed "Facial droop, facial pain, and dental work" into ChatGPT.

The AI's response was clear: These symptoms matched Bell's palsy, and she needed urgent treatment. Susan rushed back to the ER and the doctors confirmed the AI's diagnosis.

Obviously, AI shouldn't replace doctors. But you'd be silly not to at least consult this (free) expert doctor in your pocket.

In recent tests, ChatGPT outperformed doctors in diagnosing medical conditions. It scored 90% compared to doctors' 74%. When I get blood tests or MRI results now, I ask AI to explain them in plain English and suggest questions for my doctor.

In the near future, AI will give a “second opinion” on every medical scan and doctor’s decision anyway. You can live in the future by consulting “DocGPT” today. Hello, AI early warning system for your health.

My best advice: Just start. Ask your chatbot of choice to explain something you've been curious about. If you’re not sure what to ask, tell AI about yourself, your work, your interests, and let it suggest ways it can help.

Think of it like picking up a golf club for the first time. You'll feel awkward and maybe even grip it wrong. But stick with it, and you'll get the hang of it.

• Pro tip: Think of AI as a brilliant but literal-minded employee. You wouldn't tell a new hire, “Make this better." You'd explain specifically what needs improvement. Instead of "help me write an email," try "write a professional email to reschedule a client meeting, emphasizing how much we value their time."

This gets to the heart of "prompting" or how you talk to AI. AI models are like a flashlight in a dark warehouse. How you phrase your question is like aiming that beam. Sweep it too broadly and you'll just get a dim view of everything. Focus it precisely and you'll illuminate exactly what you need.

The clearer your prompt, the more useful the response you'll get.

Big picture: Whether you're mastering Spanish, helping your kid grasp geometry, or planning the perfect anniversary dinner or vacation, you now have a brilliant advisor available 24/7.

AI is a new superpower. Those who start mastering it now will have an incredible advantage.

I believe AI will fuel the biggest small business boom in history.

We're entering an era of "extreme leverage" where one or two smart people with AI assistance can build something extraordinary. The next billion-dollar company might start with someone like you, sitting at home, working with AI to solve a problem you deeply understand.

And yes, teach your kids how to use these tools. In the age of AI, even homework must evolve. Leading educators like my friend Tyler Cowen are already designing AI-based assignments that test understanding rather than memorization.

I’ll leave you with this simple mission: Spend 10 hours with AI. Jump in and get your hands dirty. Ask it questions. Give it tasks. Learn its quirks.

The future is here. And it's not about AI replacing human intelligence. These tools amplify our potential.

Stephen McBride
Chief Analyst, RiskHedge

PS: If you liked this, consider signing up for The Rational Optimist Society here. We publish a new Diary every Sunday. We also have a podcast, and we publish monthly “Deep Dives” on big important tech trends like self-driving cars, fracking, nuclear energy, brain chips, drones, supersonic flight, and more.

A very good article by Stephen McBride, received through a forward on my email, it is one of the rare positive looks to the AI new phenomenon engulfing our modern times nowadays, It surely explains many aspects of this phenomenon, with a positive understanding. Always to the benefit of our readers to better understand the subject.

As always my many thanks to all for following and participating. 

A GOOD HABIT AND EXCERCISE FOR US ALL......

 

Quoted from Dr. Mazen Al-Rasheed's page
What is the biological phenomenon of sarcopenia that appears in humans as they age?

Sarcopenia: The loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength due to aging.

It's a horrible situation.
Let's explore sarcopenia!

1- To develop the habit of being able to stand...
Just don't sit down!...

Don't lie down if you can sit!

2- If an elderly person becomes ill and is admitted to the hospital, do not ask him to rest more... or to lie down and relax and not get out of bed!

Lying down for a week loses at least 5% of muscle mass!

And the old man can't regain his muscles!

Typically, many seniors who hire helpers lose muscle faster!

3- Sarcopenia is more terrifying than osteoporosis!
With osteoporosis, you just need to be careful not to fall, while sarcopenia not only affects the quality of life but also causes high blood sugar due to insufficient muscle mass!

4- The fastest loss in muscle atrophy is in the leg muscles!
Because when a person sits or lies down, the legs do not move and the strength of the leg muscles is affected... This is especially important!

You should watch out for sarcopenia!

Walking up and down stairs... light jogging, cycling are all great exercises and can increase muscle mass!

For a better quality of life for all in old age...

Move... so you don't waste your muscles!!

Aging starts from the feet up!

Keep your legs active and strong!!

 As we age and get older on a daily basis, our feet should always remain active and strong.

 If you don't move your legs for just two weeks, your actual leg strength will decrease by 10 years.
So...
Regular exercise, such as walking, is very important.

Feet are a kind of pillar that bears the entire weight of the human body.
Walking every day is important.

Interestingly, 50% of a person's bones and 50% of their muscles are located in the legs.

Do you walk?

The largest and strongest joints and bones of the human body are also found in the legs.

70% of human activity and energy burning in human life is done by the feet.

The foot is the center of the body's movement.

 Both legs together contain 50% of the human body's nerves, 50% of the blood vessels, and 50% of the blood flowing through them.

Aging starts from the feet up.

 Leg exercises... It's never too late, even if you're over seventy or eighty.
 Walk for at least 30-40 minutes intermittently every day to ensure that your legs receive adequate exercise and to ensure that your leg muscles remain healthy.

Share this important information with all your friends and family members over 40, as everyone ages every day.

A very and comprehensive quick study, about the important role our legs play in our wellbeing, and how important it is to maintain a good level of exercising them by simple acts of life, maintaining few good steps a day. More so in later ages when many of us start neglecting those little daily steps and leg movements.    

As always, my many tanks to all, stay safe and well. Quoted from Dr. Mazen Al-Rasheed's page.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LEBANON AND THE LEBANESE.....

*Edmond Rabbath*

Disarming Hezbollah? The Trap of Words

“To misname things is to add to the world’s misery.” Albert Camus

By Edmond Rabbath, August 19, 2025

This article may come as a shock. Some will not understand its content, convinced that it is a plea for Hezbollah. Let them rest assured: I remain, and always will remain, a fierce enemy of the party, its ideology, and its project. I will never forgive it for storing ammonium nitrate at the port, nor for assassinating Lokman Slim, among many other atrocities. But I have always followed Mark Twain's advice: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to stop and think." This is precisely what I propose here: to reflect on what "disarming Hezbollah" really means, and what this injunction reveals about our collective failings.

When you set a goal as weighty as Hezbollah's disarmament, it still needs to be defined. Since the beginning of the year, this formula has recurred like a magic slogan, repeated by Washington, Tel Aviv, and certain Lebanese leaders who, just yesterday, carefully avoided raising the issue. But what does it mean in concrete terms? How? According to what criteria, and what timeline? With what guarantees? No one knows. And that's the problem. Neither the Lebanese army nor its intelligence services know the true extent of Hezbollah's arsenal, nor the number of fighters it can mobilize, nor the extent of its military sites. This lack of serious assessment makes the goal not only unrealistic, but irresponsible—especially in a state in political and institutional bankruptcy.

Even foreign powers have not provided any precise outline. In Gaza, Israel promised to "disarm Hamas" and "eliminate its cadres." Nearly two years, sixty-two thousand, and massive destruction later, no one knows if these objectives have been achieved. One thing is certain: the war has turned into genocide. Who defines what a "Hamas member" is? Who decides that an arsenal is "destroyed"? This vagueness is strategic. With Hezbollah, it's even worse. Since October 2023, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have targeted supposed members of the party—unknown names, revealed by the Israeli media. Who knew Fouad Chokor before his assassination? Who verifies this information? Certainly not the Lebanese press. And certainly not the state.

For decades, Lebanon has hidden behind the symbols of a state without ever embodying its functions. Behind the facade of ministries, uniforms, elections, and international conferences, there is only the appearance of authority. Hezbollah is not the only one to have understood this, but it is the one that has taken advantage of it best. It did not impose its power through brute force alone: it occupied the vacuum, exploited the despair of an entire community, and imposed itself through the resignation of others. While army officers received condolences for the death of a loved one and political leaders danced at weddings, Israel collected data, monitored targets, and prepared its war. Officially against Hezbollah, in reality against all of Lebanon. How can we explain that Israel knows the location of Hezbollah's arsenals better than our own army? Did the latter deliberately subcontract disarmament to Israel? Or is she ignorant of everything, reduced to a mere facade? In either case, it's extremely serious.

Should we recall that current President Joseph Aoun would never have been appointed commander of the 9th Brigade—deployed to the border with Israel in 2015—without Hezbollah's approval? And that he would not have become army commander-in-chief in 2017 without its tacit approval, perhaps even that of Assad's Syria? What applies to Joseph Aoun applies to all security officials. Those who today call for the party's disarmament are turning a blind eye to these crucial realities. But even more dangerous than its weapons remains the ideological brainwashing carried out for forty years by the mullahs. This patient work has shaped entire generations, entrenching a loyalty stronger than that owed to the nation. To think that a simple decision would be enough to erase it is dangerously naive. As long as Lebanon does not propose a credible plan for the future, this hold will persist.

It's convenient to blame Hezbollah solely for the country's ruin. But that would be too easy. The party has only prospered on a field of ruins sown by others: warlords recycled into ministers, corrupt notables, subservient judges, rogue bankers, political leaders who colluded with it to keep a seat on the Council of Ministers. The election of Michel Aoun to the presidency in 2016—with the support of those who cursed him yesterday, adored him for a while, and hate him again—consolidated this system. Sectarian compromises, abandonment of judicial authority, fratricidal wars, and political cowardice have given Hezbollah impunity.

In every crisis, the Lebanese look for a foreign savior. Today, some are banking on Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus. Yesterday, it was Ariel Sharon, Ghazi Kanaan, or the Iranian ambassador. Tomorrow, it may be Ahmad Al Charaa, presented as the providential man capable of "closing the Tehran-Beirut route," despite his terrorist past and recent crimes against religious minorities. As if our salvation must always come from elsewhere. As if we were incapable of building our sovereignty.

But the interests of foreign powers evolve, and none align with those of the Lebanese people. The United States, in particular, has never hesitated to support a man only to abandon him later: Lebanon after the attack on the Marines, Saddam's Iraq, the Mujahideen's Afghanistan. Today, with the return of Donald Trump—who, after humiliating Zelensky and flattering Putin, is now threatening Russia, only to change his mind after the meeting in Alaska and appear alongside the Ukrainian president surrounded by six European leaders—the message is clear: American policy has become a matter of instinct, resentment, and theater. To believe that a man as impulsive as Trump, relayed by his special emissaries, can be a guarantor of stability is strategic blindness.

The illusions repeat themselves. Some once hoped that Hafez al-Assad would "solve the Palestinian problem," or that the IDF would "restore order" in 1982. Each time, the result was the same: more war, more occupation, more divisions. Even recent electoral victories are tainted. Would Samir Geagea have won so many seats in Parliament without the bloody incidents in Tayouné? The use of fear and polarization remains a powerful political lever in a country where democracy is nothing more than a word emptied of its meaning.

I fight what Hezbollah represents: illegality, terrorism, unilateralism, submission to the mullahs' regime, the confiscation of national decision-making. But I also fight those who, under the cover of legality and impunity, have openly plundered this country, allied themselves with Hezbollah, and covered up for the bankers who stole our deposits. Today, the party is weakened, but it is not politically defeated. Its most vocal adversaries are also those who protected it yesterday. Those who today demand its disarmament allied themselves with it in the last municipal elections. Allies like Michel Sleiman, Faisal Karamé, and even Gebran Bassil—who owe their notoriety and fortune to their proximity to Hezbollah—are now engaging in dangerous escalation. The party knows that if it lets its guard down, these same vultures will swoop down to tear it apart and make it solely responsible for all our ills. And in a country where crowds are inflamed by social media and television propaganda channels, disarmament could quickly degenerate into civil war.

"You can do anything with bayonets except sit on them," said Talleyrand. Hezbollah's weapons have lost all strategic utility. They no longer defend anything or anyone. Their sole function is now to turn against Lebanon itself.

Disarm Hezbollah, yes—but not to hand the country over to those who have repeatedly betrayed it. Because removing a rifle from a person's hands guarantees nothing if we don't tackle the roots of evil. Peace is not decreed, it is built. Stone by stone, truth by truth. It begins with shedding light on the port explosion, that gaping wound in our collective memory. With a justice system that is finally independent, deaf to pressure and horse-trading. With elections freed from the sectarian blackmail that has plagued our democracy for too long. It requires the lifting of banking secrecy, that code of silence that protects the predators of the Republic. With an education system that prohibits ideological and hateful speech, so that our children finally learn to see themselves as citizens first and foremost. And it imperatively demands the Israeli withdrawal from all lands occupied since last summer. For if Hezbollah is indeed no longer a threat, what justification remains for this military presence on our soil? Drones and listening systems have proven their effectiveness for surveillance, making the occupation inexcusable.

True peace is born of justice, not force. But above all, it requires a future. As Napoleon reminded us: "One can only lead the people by showing them a future." Disarming Hezbollah is a necessity. But we must offer all Lebanese a national perspective in which they can identify, far from old ideologies, far from warlords, far from instrumentalized fear, and with the Lebanese Constitution as our only guarantee. This is why we must create a true platform, bringing together all those who reject corrupt parties and aspire to a project in step with our times. A project that fully embraces the challenges ahead—including artificial intelligence, already reshaping the world—and that breaks with the old, sclerotic Lebanon where the same warlike figures are constantly recycled to fuel fear of the other and maintain their power.

To all those who loudly call for disarmament, I say: let he who has never betrayed Lebanon cast the first stone. And to all the others, those who have nothing left to lose, I recall these words of Martin Luther King, more relevant than ever: "We must learn to live together as brothers, or we will all die together as fools."

 An excellent analysis and portrayal of Lebanon and its ruling class in these dark days of frightening politics and barbaric brutality all over the world, forwarded to me, originally in French.  I'm not too familiar with Edmond Rabbath, nor with his publications, but felt compelled to translate his article, and republish on our blog, to the benefit of all readers and a much better understanding of the situation reigning over there. 

All my sincere thanks to all. 

A EUROPEAN WAKE UP ????

 

"WE WILL BURY THE PALESTINIAN STATE: EUROPEANS WILL HAVE NOTHING MORE TO RECOGNIZE!"

= Statement made the day before yesterday by Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance and Settlement Development. These are not empty threats: he is simultaneously approving the construction of 3,400 housing units in the E1 area. For 29 years (since 1996), all Israeli governments have backed down in the face of international pressure and have renounced colonizing this absolutely strategic E1 area.
• Why is this a historic shift? 1) Because the E1 zone will permanently isolate the Northern West Bank (Ramallah - Nablus) from the Southern West Bank (Bethlehem - Hebron); 2) Because the E1 zone will completely isolate East Jerusalem (where 400,000 Palestinians live) from the rest of the West Bank. More details here: https://orange-juditha-6.tiiny.site via Daniel Seideman

• His supremacist accomplice Ben-Gvir went to Marwan Barghouti's cell yesterday and told him, on camera: "We will annihilate you, we will erase you."
• Why is this important? 1) Because these are the first images of Barghouti released in years and because he appears VERY thin. 15 days ago, I signed a text with 172 personalities to remind everyone that the release of the "Palestinian Mandela" is the only political option available to restore the Palestinian Authority and restart a negotiation process. If Barghouti suffered the same fate as Navalni, if he dies in his cell, this political perspective disappears. https://lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/08/02/une-liberation-de-marwan-barghouti-par-israel-serait-essentielle-pour-avancer-vers-la-paix-et-une-solution-a-deux-etats_6626344_3232.html

• Yesterday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel traveled to Somaliland to negotiate the "relocation" of Gaza residents. The day before, Netanyahu confirmed on CNN that Israel is "negotiating with several countries right now," adding that "anyone who wants to help the Palestinians should open their doors to them." The plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza is therefore officially accepted at the highest level. As a reminder, on August 9, Trump confirmed on camera that he plans to recognize Somaliland if it accepts those expelled from Gaza.

• On i24NEWS English Netanyahu said yesterday that he felt "invested with a historic and spiritual mission" and was "very attached to the vision of Greater Israel" (as a reminder, "Greater Israel" includes Israel + West Bank + Jordan + Lebanon + Syria + Sinai). He added that any "political solution to the Gaza war would be synonymous with capitulation for Israel." The expansionist headlong rush is clearly accelerating.

> On July 24, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu declared on the radio that "the Israeli government is engaged in a race against time to annihilate Gaza. We are eliminating its inhabitants. Gaza will be entirely Jewish." He speaks the truth, simply and bluntly, like Smotrich, like Ben-Gvir, like Netanyahu. Nothing is hidden, everything is assumed.

>> Faced with this absolute emergency, Germany decided on August 8th to impose an arms embargo on Israel. This was a historic decision, with far-reaching consequences (Germany accounts for 30% of arms imports to Israel). Norway, which holds the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, canceled all of its investments in Israel on August 11th.
>>> What is France doing? It "strongly condemns" the plan to annihilate Gaza (August 8); it "expresses its deep concern about the heavy price paid by journalists in Gaza" (August 12); it supports "the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission in Gaza" (August 12); it has not yet reacted to the announcement of the colonization of the E1 zone.
• If Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Noël Barrot & France Diplomatie wait for the official proclamation of the State of Palestine on September 21 at the UN, they will no longer have anything to recognize, as Smotrich so cruelly but so rightly says.

> Pressure must increase for IMMEDIATE AND BINDING SANCTIONS on Israel a) Trade sanctions that will empty the stores in a few days and that will have an immediate effect on a geographically isolated and economically strangled country; b) legal sanctions by supporting the ICC arrest warrants and demonstrating to Israeli soldiers that they will never again be able to travel to countries that are signatories to international legal treaties; c) diplomatic sanctions by immediately banning European soil to all members of the Israeli government ("Schengen Travel Ban"); d) military and strategic sanctions: the announcement of a German embargo on arms deliveries to Israel is a decisive first step, it must be supported and amplified.

• It is one minute to midnight. If immediate and credible sanctions are not announced in the coming hours, the promise of recognition of Palestine next September will be null and void: Emmanuel Macron will have finally recognized a cemetery.

#SANCTIONS #CeaseFireNOW #BringThemHomeNOW

[Sources: CNN, Haaretz.com, The Times of Israel, Le Monde]

As received in French by email, translated by Google and myself, to fit our blog, for the better understanding of what is happening over there under the eyes of the entire world. 

As always, my many thanks to all.  

THE ONGOING HORRIBLE MASSACRE......

 

BREAKING: Israel Killed Al Jazeera Journalist Anas Al-Sharif Journalists in Gaza continue to be murdered in record numbers,           while  Western media outlets and reporters show little or no outrage. Prem Thakker Aug 10

On Sunday, the Israeli military killed our press colleagues, Al Jazeera journalists Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.

The journalists were killed by an Israeli airstrike late Sunday local time. One minute, they were reporting on Israel’s escalating bombardment of Gaza City. And the next minute, they became victims of it.

Israeli forces bombed a tent housing the reporters near al-Shifa Hospital. The attack also reportedly killed Al-Sharif's nephew Musab Al-Sharif, who is said to have looked up to his 28-year-old uncle and wanted to follow in his footsteps as a journalist.

Barely an hour before US-backed Israeli forces killed Al-Sharif, he had warned on Twitter, “If this madness doesn’t end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased — and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”

Just weeks ago, the Committee to Protect Journalists called for Al-Sharif’s protection in the face of an Israeli military smear campaign. The vile campaign included the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee alleging that Al-Sharif was a “terrorist,” since he cried on air while reporting on the starvation of his people in Gaza.

After the attack, the Israeli military said it targeted and killed “the terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network,” claiming without any substantiated evidence that he “served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation.”

“When you read the statement issued by the army, which was well prepared before all this happened, it’s almost as if it is bragging about it,” Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel-Hamid wrote.

‘Silencing My Voice’

Warnings like the one Al-Sharif wrote just before being killed have become horrifyingly familiar. Such appeals have fallen on deaf or disinterested ears in the halls of power worldwide, namely in the West, and particularly in the US. And for months, such pleas have been met with skepticism by the Western press, and particularly by the US press.

Where are the big names that proclaim themselves as brave, bold, as telling things as they are? The network figureheads, the Washington mainstays? Israeli forces have killed some 245 journalists in the past 22 months. Journalists who were also people, just like anyone else, and who had to become bigger than life, in order to justify themselves to viewers thousands of miles away. People who had been forced every single day to report on the devastation of their own land, their own families. People who would cover an airstrike that killed their children and, by sheer necessity, continue to report on the next strike, in the pursuit of convincing the world to act, of the hope of tomorrow being different.

How many murdered Palestinian journalists will it take for the mainstream press’s cowardly fever to break?

After his killing, Al-Sharif’s team published his final words on social media:

,

This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.

I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.

Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Anas Jamal Al-Sharif

06.04.2025

These few paragraphs, are a shorter part of the journalist letter, but it gives a fair idea of its content and sad release after his deliberate murder with his colleagues by the Israeli army. 

A sad episode of the barbaric onslaught taking place openly of all professional personnel serving in the Palestinian Gaza and to a lesser extend the under occupation West Bank, journalist, doctors, medical staff and humanitarian aid people by the thousands, it is planned to continue under different names, headings and tactics.                 As always, my many thanks to all.   

Don’t Let the Fight Against Antisemitism Fuel Antisemitism

Labeling critiques of Israeli policy and actions as “Jew Hatred” or saying global anger at the war in Gaza is a “PR problem” is precisely the wrong approach.

Jeremy Ben-Ami Jul 13

No matter the over-focus on Israel particularly on the political left, it is a tragic error for leaders and organizations in the Jewish community to seek to shut down debate and dissent by labeling all critiques of Israel as antisemitic.

Finally, we need people like the Prime Minister of Israel to stop dismissing all critiques of Israel as part of a concerted communications campaign to discredit Israel. He and all those who consistently label Israel's growing international isolation a “PR problem” are missing a more fundamental point.

Israel's problem isn't its PR. The problem is its policy.

It’s not the media coverage that needs to change, it’s what Israel is doing and has been doing since 1967. Getting a better PR firm to explain the occupation of another people and the denial of their equal rights won’t solve the problem.

Yes, there is antisemitism throughout the world. It will never fully disappear, and it must be continually fought.

As we address that hatred, let’s also take a long look in the mirror and ensure that the state that is the national home of our people is acting in a manner that accords with our values and advances our interests.

If it is not, let’s speak out.

In doing so, we will not just be standing up for what is right and in our own interest, we'll be demonstrating the important distinction between what this extreme right-wing government of Israel is doing and what the majority of Jewish people who care about the state and people of Israel actually believe.

And let’s ensure that, in the way we react to those who are not Jewish and raise concerns that many of us share about Israel's policies and actions, we aren’t inadvertently fueling the flames of antisemitism.

 

Few paragraphs of a longer article by the talented and very realistic Jeremy Ben-Ami, analyzing this particular side of the general situation between Israel/Palestine, their wars, occupation, terrorism, apartheid, genocide and mass population transfers, and their impact on the entire area surrounding them, all under the complicity of some other political leaders and the blind eyes of the rest of the world. 

"The Nazification of Israel has begun. That's where it should be filed. This is a country that has gone completely off the rails. The more you see it in operation, the more it looks like Nazi Germany."
— John Mearsheimer, widely respected political scientist

I copied these words, as very indicative of certain aspects of the conflict and the ways it's been conducted, and the last decision of the war cabinet to invade the entirety of Gaza and Gaza city, against the advise of their own army chiefs, and perpetuate their massacres and ethnic cleansing.

signaling the beginning of a new era of accountability in global politics.

The Growing Global Criticism of Israel’s Actions

   

  as always, my many thanks to all my good readers.