Hezbollah rally attracts thousands as Trump’s Jerusalem fallout continues

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By Louisa Loveluck and Suzan Haidamous  washingtonpost- BEIRUT — Thousands of Hezbollah supporters joined a fiery rally in Beirut on Monday as the movement’s leader urged Palestinians to rise up after President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Demonstrators packed the streets of Beirut’s southern suburbs in a carefully managed march. Crowds chanted, “Death to America, death to Israel!” and waved Palestinian and Hezbollah flags. Trump’s announcement Wednesday that his administration would break with decades of U.S. foreign policy to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has sparked protests across the Arab world. [Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israeli capital in reversal of U.S. policy] Hundreds of protesters clashed with Lebanese security forces near the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Sunday, hurling rocks and bottles toward the compound as the army beat back the crowd using tear gas and water cannons.

But so far, more serious violence has not materialized, and Palestinian concerns about Jerusalem have failed to energize most Arab governments. Many leaders here seem more focused on conflicts in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere that are now roiling the region. Addressing the crowd Monday via video link, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah described Trump’s policy change as a “foolish decision” that would mark the “beginning of the end” of the Jewish state.

“The most important response will be to announce a third Palestinian intifada on all occupied Palestinian territories,” he said, using an Arabic term that evokes earlier uprisings. Lebanon harbors more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees, many of whom fled their homes in what is now Israel and the West Bank during the wars of 1948 and 1967. The Lebanese state has never formally recognized their status as refugees, and Palestinians are barred from dozens of professions. Sitting on the sidewalk during Nasrallah’s speech Thursday was Alia Shahata, born in 1948 to parents who she said left Palestine after being expelled from their home. “Trump is humiliating all Arabs with his decision,” she said. “My family has no rights here in Lebanon. Our boys all work on coffee stalls inside the refugee camp. Know that we would all go back to Palestine tomorrow if we could.” As she spoke, a group of boys no older than 10 posed for photographs in the street, dressed in military fatigues and raising their hands in Hezbollah salutes. Founded in response to Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah, a Shiite militia backed by Iran, has also played a key role in turning the tide of Syria’s civil war in favor of President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has drawn widespread condemnation from allies around the world, many of whom had seen the city’s eventual status as a matter to be settled in a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that the 28-member bloc delivered a “clear and united” message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Brussels, and that the only “realistic” solution is for two states, with Jerusalem as their shared capital. She rejected Netanyahu’s public remarks that he expects European nations to follow the U.S. lead and move their embassies as well. “He can keep his expectations for others,” she said. In his speech, Netanyahu said Trump had put “facts on the table” with the recognition of Jerusalem, which he said makes peace possible by recognizing reality. But at home in Israel, the fallout continued. Israel’s military said a rocket was launched toward its territory from the Gaza Strip on Monday night, although authorities were not sure whether it landed on the Israeli side of the border fence. Israel responded by bombing two Hamas military posts in southern Gaza. It was not clear who fired the rocket, but Israel holds the militant group responsible for all aggressive actions from the Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported in the exchange. Hamas has called for an uprising against Israel in the wake of the Jerusalem announcement. Two of its militants were killed after Israel responded to rocket fire last week, while two protesters who Israel said were rolling burning tires and throwing rocks were also fatally shot near the border.

Protesters and police clash outside US embassy in Beirut

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Beirut, Lebanon (CNN)Lebanese security forces clashed with protesters near the United States embassy in Beirut on Sunday over President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Hundreds of protesters and dozens of riot police gathered in front of the entrance leading to the heavily fortified embassy. Some youths in the crowd threw stones toward the gate leading to the US embassy. Despite calls to keep the demonstration peaceful, clashes broke out as crowds threw plastic water bottles, stones and sticks at the police. Lebanese security forces on the scene responded with tear gas and water cannons, as demonstrators lit a large garbage can and car tires on fire. One American flag was burned. At least five protesters affected by tear gas were carried away from the scene. Protesters told CNN they condemned Trump's steps on Jerusalem's status, and said they were angry at the "impotence" of Arab leaders in the wake of the controversial decision. "Sheep who are the Arab leaders betrayed Jerusalem years ago," Mustafa, a Syrian demonstrator, told CNN.

The demonstration outside the embassy comes as Lebanese group Hezbollah plans to hold a demonstration Monday in the Beirut suburbs to condemn Trump's decision. Trump's move Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and commit to moving the US embassy to the holy city has prompted international condemnation and sparked protests worldwide, from Indonesia and Malaysia, to Iraq, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt. Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday against what it said were Hamas targets in Gaza, after several rockets were fired out of Gaza towards Israel. Two Palestinians were killed in those airstrikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. More than 300 people were injured Friday across the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, 50 of whom needed hospital treatment, during protests against Trump's decision, according to the Palestinian Authority's Health Ministry. Protesters clash wtih Lebanese security forces amid protests condemning Trump's decision to recognize Jersualem as Israel's capital. Protesters clash wtih Lebanese security forces amid protests condemning Trump's decision to recognize Jersualem as Israel's capital. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki called Trump's decision "illegal and illegitimate and null and void legally and politically," saying there would be no formal communication with US officials.

Before the protests broke out in Lebanon, the Arab League condemned Trump's decision as well, describing it as a "dangerous" development. The foreign ministers of the 22-member states of the Arab League met for an emergency meeting at their headquarters in Cairo on Saturday. The US policy change on Jerusalem puts it "on the side of occupation" and exempts it from a mediation role in the peace process," the Arab League said in a statement. It warned that attempts to change the legal status of Jerusalem or to "change the Arab identity of the city" are "provocations to the feelings of Muslims and Christians across the Muslim and Arab world" and violates international law. CNN's Ben Wedeman and Ghazi Balkiz reported from northern Beirut. CNN's Tamara Qiblawi wrote from Abu Dhabi.

Christians in Holy Land voice fear over Trump's Jerusalem move

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By Elise Harris Jerusalem (CNA/EWTN News).- Christians leaders in Jerusalem have voiced fear over the repercussions of America's recognition of the city as Israel's capital, asking that international law be respected in the interest of maintaining peace. According to Fr. David Neuhaus, a priest in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and former Parochial Vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in the city, the first reaction to the decision was fear. “You touch Jerusalem, things explode,” he said, explaining that for people on the ground, there are three primary concerns over the move, the first of which is “how many people are going to die? … To what extent is there going to be violence and loss of life?” Speaking to CNA over the phone from Jerusalem, he said on a second level, there is also concern over the fact that the U.S. has strayed from a position that has been a widely accepted in international law, and to which the Holy See has also “very, very strenuously and strictly” stuck. “The Holy See has remained very strictly within that discourse, and the kind of upset that it causes now to think that one of the strongest countries in the world doesn't seem willing to stay within a discourse that we have been using and that has been very useful in trying to find a solution to the problem of Jerusalem,” is concerning, Neuhaus said. A third immediate concern, which the Church itself has taken a particular interest in, is over the character of Jerusalem itself, he said, explaining that to drag the city into a contentions political debate “is endangering the character of the city as a holy city.” There is real concern not just for the preservation of the holy sites in Jerusalem – which holds special religious significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims – but also for the people who visit them, the priest said. The people, he said, “always kind of vanish from this kind of politicized discourse, because we talk about protecting stones, and our fear is yes, you can wonderfully keep a museum, but there aren't people there anymore.” “If violence breaks out, pilgrimages will stop and pilgrims will be in danger because when countries take positions like this, which seem to be positions that exclude someone else, yes the people are in danger,” he said, adding that this concern is also just as valid for the people who live in the city.

Jerusalem is a place where certain groups of people “feel more and more alienated” and excluded, and who feel “that one narrative is being preferred over other narratives, one religious tradition is triumphing over others,” he said, so in this sense, the Trump decision could alter the character of the city itself. While right-wing Israelis have been celebrating the decision, likening it to the 1917 Balfour declaration announcing British support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people,” for Palistinians, both Christian and Muslim, “there is despair.” In general, Neuhaus said the feeling is that the move betrays what had previously been decided by the international community, who recognized the “special status” of Jerusalem and tried to protect it from becoming the center of conflict. However, rather than doing this, the Trump administration's announcement “is very clearly putting Jerusalem right in the middle,” the priest said, adding that there is also confusion over what this will mean in the long run. Trump never said what Jerusalem is, so in terms of a two-state solution, which has been supported by the U.N. and the wider international community, “what are these two states?” Neuhaus said the “bravado” with which Trump made the announcement was “kind of spitting in the face of the rest of the world, which is saying this might not be the most prudent thing to do.” “This kind of discourse does not prevent division it provokes division,” he said, and while they are hoping for the best, the future is unclear. Many Israelis, he said, are asking themselves the question: “is Israel going to have to pay a price for this American gift? … Is this part of something bigger that we can't see right now?” “These things will become clear in the months to come,” he said, but noted that “something has changed, and that change is not going to be for the good.” Neuhaus' concerns echoed those of the patriarchs and heads of Churches and ecclesial communities in Jerusalem.

On Dec. 6, 13 of these leaders signed an open letter to Trump saying they have followed the news of his decision “with concern.” “Jerusalem, the city of God, is a city of peace for us and for the world,” however, unfortunately, “our holy land with Jerusalem the Holy city, is today a land of conflict.” Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, they said, will only lead to “increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us father from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division.” Peace in the area “cannot be reached without Jerusalem being for all,” the signatories said, and urged the United States “to continue recognizing the present international status of Jerusalem.” “Any sudden changes would cause irreparable harm,” they said, and voiced their confidence that with adequate support, both Israelis and Palestinians “can work towards negotiating a sustainable and just peace” that is beneficial for all sides. “The Holy City can be shared and fully enjoyed once a political process helps liberate the hearts of all people that live within it from the conditions of conflict and destructiveness that they are experiencing,” they said, and asked that as Christmas approaches, Trump would join them in their quest to build “a just, inclusive peace for all the peoples of this unique and Holy City.”

The 13 signatories of the letter included six Catholic officials, as well as representatives of Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. Israel has traditionally recognized Jerusalem as its capital. However, Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of the Palestinian state. In recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the U.S. is the first country to do so since the state was established in 1948. East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel after is victory in the Six Day War of 1967. Debate on this particular issue has in many ways been the crux of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which is backed by Arab leaders and the wider Islamic world. According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is to be discussed in the late stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognized by the international community, and all countries with diplomatic relations have their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, under Trump's new plan, the U.S. embassy is to be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, then, is likely to increase tension, particularly in regards to the 200,000-some settlements Israel has built in East Jerusalem, which are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this stance. After news of the decision broke, Pope Francis during his general audience also voiced “deep concern” over the move, and issued a “heartfelt appeal” to the international community to ensure that “everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations.” More than 30 Palestinians have been injured in clashes across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip amid protests against Trump's decision. The position of the U.N. on the Jerusalem issue is that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory, and that the city should eventually become the capital of the two states of Israel and Palestine. The Vatican has long supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and on a diplomatic level recognizes and refers to both “the State of Israel” and “the State of Palestine.”

Lebanon's Hariri denounces Iraqi Shi'ite paramilitary's visit to border

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - The head of an Iran-backed Iraqi Shi‘ite militia has visited Lebanon’s border with Israel accompanied by Hezbollah fighters, a video released on Saturday showed, in a show of Iranian influence that Lebanon’s prime minister called illegal. His appearance at the frontier is likely to be seen in the Middle East as an example of Tehran demonstrating its reach, and could add to tension in Lebanon, caught in a regional tussle between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri issued a statement saying the border visit by a paramilitary in uniform violated Lebanese law. He had instructed security chiefs to “prevent any person from carrying out activities of a military nature on the country’s territory and to prevent any illegal actions”, and barred Khazali from entering the country, it said.

Lebanon is still recovering from a crisis triggered a month ago, when Hariri announced his resignation while visiting Saudi Arabia, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of meddling in regional conflicts in violation of Lebanon’s policy of non-intervention. Hariri returned to Lebanon two weeks later and withdrew his resignation last week, while his government restated its non-intervention policy. Hezbollah, a heavily armed Shi‘ite group that fights openly in Syria as an ally of Iran, serves in the power-sharing government with Hariri, a Sunni Muslim politician with deep business and political ties to Saudi Arabia.

A commander in an alliance between Hezbollah, Iran and Russia, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said al-Khazali was accompanied by officers from Asaib Ahl al-Haq and visited the entire border with “occupied Palestine”. The commander did not say when the visit took place. In the video, an unidentified commander, presumably from Hezbollah, gestures toward military outposts in northern Israel and explains to Khazali that they were hit by Hezbollah missiles in previous confrontations between the group and Israel. “We are now on the border separating southern Lebanon with occupied Palestine with our brothers in Hezbollah, and announce our full preparedness to stand united...against the Israeli occupier,” Khazali says in the video. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in June that any future war waged by Israel against Syria or Lebanon could draw in fighters from countries including Iran and Iraq. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who established Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982, have mobilized Shi‘ite militias from around the region in recent years. They have fought Islamic State in Iraq and helped President Bashar al-Assad in the war in Syria. Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Peter Graff

A Saudi Billionaire's Detention Is Making Some Investors Nervous

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by JACKIE NORTHAM - NPR  - One of the world's most famous — and flashy — billionaires is being detained by the Saudi government in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was swept up in early November, along with more than 200 other Saudi businessmen and princes, in a massive anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Many analysts saw it as a power grab by the young prince. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the highest-profile Saudi figure detained in the November sweep. More than just a member of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, he is a businessman believed to be worth about $20 billion, with significant investments in many Western companies, including Citigroup, Twitter and Time Warner. He owns enormous yachts and a Boeing 747 with a gold-trimmed interior. But detaining a key international financial player of Alwaleed's stature could harm potential investment in Saudi Arabia, some analysts say. Simon Henderson, a specialist on Saudi Arabia at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says Alwaleed enjoys the spotlight, comfortably rubbing elbows with the world's movers and shakers. "He enjoys his reputation both as an international tycoon and for his relationships with international business figures," says Henderson. "And frankly, he's flamboyant ... and loves to have his photograph taken." But Henderson says Alwaleed is also known for philanthropic works, and has worked with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on a number of business and humanitarian projects, including vaccination drives. Henderson says the 62-year-old prince is a good example of modern Saudi Arabia — progressive and worldly — and "all of a sudden, he falls from favor." There's been no sign of Alwaleed since he was detained as part of the anti-corruption crackdown. Allison Wood, a Middle East consultant for Control Risks, says many investors and analysts are trying to figure out what might happen to him. Alwaleed's company, Kingdom Holdings, offers no clues, she says.

"The official reaction from Kingdom Holdings has been to say that it's broadly business as normal," she says. "I don't know that a lot of people really believe that, necessarily, given that its largest shareholder has not been heard of from for several weeks at this point." Shares in Kingdom Holdings dropped by 10 percent after Alwaleed's arrest. It's unclear why Alwaleed was detained. In response to an NPR query on his case, Fatimah Baeshen, a spokesperson at the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C., said the embassy "does not have information on specific individuals, due to Saudi privacy laws." Alwaleed may have got on the wrong side of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is trying to reform the economy and needs buy-in from the business community, says Ayham Kamel, a Middle East specialist with the Eurasia Group. Kamel says Alwaleed has not rallied the domestic or international business community to invest in ventures sponsored by the crown prince, such as Neom, an ambitious new economic zone and business hub envisioned to be bigger than Dubai. "In the last few months, although he has been supportive of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's reform efforts, he has not put money behind where his mouth is," he says. Kamel doesn't believe the detentions will deter many international investors. "Part of what will make Saudi Arabia more viable over the long term is ending the corruption networks that connect the ruling family with business elites," he says. But the Washington Institute's Henderson believes the detentions send a clear signal to Saudi and international investors.

The crown prince is clearly not a person you want to get on the wrong side of ... it would be bad for your business and might well be bad for you," he says. Wood, from Control Risks, says there's been no apparent transparency or due process in the detentions. But no matter the reason Alwaleed was picked up, she says, his continued absence is making some foreign investors nervous. "Investors are certainly worried about where Alwaleed is," she says. "It's certainly introduced a great deal of uncertainty for companies that have associations with him." Some detainees have been released after paying a settlement, including Prince Miteb bin Abdullah — once seen as a contender to the throne — who reportedly paid $1 billion for his freedom. The government public prosecutor says 159 are still being held. The Eurasia Group's Kamel says Alwaleed certainly has the money to get out of his gilded prison, but may be digging in his heels. "I think it's to make a point, and also to reach a deal that works for him as well," he says. Until then, associates and business partners of Alwaleed can only guess about his fate

Macron, Tillerson meet in Paris to support Lebanese PM Hariri

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by AP - Josh Lederman and Philip Issa --- PARIS — Lebanon’s prime minister appealed for support for his country from world powers at a summit convened by France on Friday to bolster Lebanon’s institutions as it emerges from a bizarre political crisis. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States and other attendees wanted to help Lebanon move forward on security and prepare for national elections slated for May. He added that it was critical to ensure the disengagement of the militant group Hezbollah from regional conflicts, including Yemen’s civil war. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Belgium would hold a conference next year to find ways to help Lebanon handle its massive refugee population.

Hariri said Lebanon was “paying a very big price on behalf of the entire world” when it comes to the refugee crisis, which he said has cost the Lebanese economy more than $20 billion since the Syrian conflict began six years ago. He called for investment in Lebanon, support for its security services, and a resolution to the refugee question that has dominated domestic politics since 2012.

It was the first major gathering of key nations to discuss Lebanon’s future since a crisis erupted following Hariri’s shock resignation last month while in Saudi Arabia. The move appeared to have been orchestrated by the Gulf kingdom as a message to Iran to reign in its Lebanese proxy, the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Hariri, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, threw Lebanon into turmoil with his resignation and renewed a vigorous debate over foreign interference in Lebanese affairs. Lebanon’s political parties depend on considerable support from regional powers for funds, security and influence. Hariri officially rescinded his resignation this week, saying Lebanon’s political parties had reached an agreement to distance the country from regional conflicts — such as the war next door in Syria. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the international community must “stay mobilized” for Lebanon’s peaceful future. “Lebanon’s stability is not just essential for its own residents,” he said. “It is so for the entire region, already very affected by the violence of conflicts.” Josh Lederman and Philip Issa are Associated Press writers. Click read more for the whole text

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