Palestinian PM Calls on US Administration to Curb Israeli Settlement Expansionhttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2929501/palestinian-pm-calls-us-administration-curb-israeli-settlement-expansion
Palestinian PM Calls on US Administration to Curb Israeli Settlement Expansion
Israeli security forces surround activists protesting settlements in Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem. (AFP)
Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh called on the US administration to act quickly and forcefully to curb the Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Shtayyeh warned that the “colonial settlement expansion in the occupied territories” is very dangerous and will undermine international efforts to establish the Palestinian state according to the June 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
He also condemned the ongoing Israeli violations of the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque, and the daily attacks by police on worshipers in Jerusalem, noting that the raids are part of a larger plan that aims to divide the Muslim holy place.
Last year, Israel pushed plans to build 12,159 settlement units, a record number according to the Israeli B'Tselem organization.
Israeli MP of the Zionist party, Orit Struck, presented on Sunday a draft law to legitimize settlement outposts in the West Bank. The law was approved in the first reading before the dissolution of the 23rd Knesset (parliament).
There are about 130 settlement outposts in the West Bank, inhabited by about 25,000 settlers, most of whom are extremists.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the bill, saying it is a serious test for the administration of US President Joe Biden.
It explained that legitimizing outposts aims to convert them into settlements at the expense of Palestinian land, which means stealing more territories, whether to build new settlement units or pave roads connecting them with nearby settlements.
The Ministry warned that these outposts are used to launch the activities of the so-called “hilltop youth”, which continues to terrorize Palestinians and attack their lands and properties.
Introducing this bill again at this particular time stems from the Israeli right-wing’s belief that they have the opportunity to pass it and implement it in light of the majority they won in the recent elections, according to the Ministry.
It warned that passing this law would be a dangerous escalation in settlement activities and operations.
Franjieh Withdraws from Lebanon’s Presidential Race, Backs Army Commanderhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5099296-franjieh-withdraws-lebanon%E2%80%99s-presidential-race-backs-army-commander
People look at a ballot box displayed inside the parliament building, a day ahead of Lebanon's parliament's attempt to elect a new head of state in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, January 8, 2025. (Reuters)
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Franjieh Withdraws from Lebanon’s Presidential Race, Backs Army Commander
People look at a ballot box displayed inside the parliament building, a day ahead of Lebanon's parliament's attempt to elect a new head of state in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, January 8, 2025. (Reuters)
Head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh announced on Wednesday that he was withdrawing from Lebanon’s presidential election and backing the candidacy of army commander Joseph Aoun.
Lebanon is holding the much-awaited election on Thursday.
In a post on the X platform, Franjieh said: "Now that the conditions are ripe for the election of a president tomorrow, I am withdrawing my candidacy, which has never been an obstacle in the electoral process."
He added that Aoun "enjoys the qualities that would preserve the standing of the country’s top post."
He hoped "the nation would overcome this stage with unity, diligence and responsibility."
Parliament will try to elect a president on Thursday, with officials seeing better chances of success in a political landscape shaken by Israel's war with Hezbollah and the toppling of the group's ally Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria.
The post, reserved for a Maronite Christian in the country's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022. The former president is not related to army commander Aoun.
None of the political groups in the 128-seat parliament have enough seats to impose their choice, and they have so far been unable to agree on a consensus candidate. The vote marks the first test of Lebanon's power balance since the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah - which propelled its then Christian ally Aoun to the presidency in 2016 - emerged badly pummeled from the war with Israel.
It takes place against a backdrop of historic change in the wider Middle East, where the Assad-led Syrian state exercised sway over Lebanon for decades, both directly and through allies such as Hezbollah.
Before Franjieh withdrew from the race and reflecting the shifts, Hezbollah and its ally the Shiite Amal Movement led by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri dropped their insistence on Franjieh, their declared candidate for the last two years, and said they are ready to go with a less divisive figure, three senior sources familiar with their thinking said.
Candidates in focus include army commander General Joseph Aoun - said by Lebanese politicians to enjoy US approval - Jihad Azour, a senior International Monetary Fund official who formerly served as finance minister, and Major-General Elias al-Baysari - head of General Security, a state security agency.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he felt happy because "God willing, tomorrow we will have a new president", according to a statement from his office.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also expressed hope in comments to France Inter radio, saying the election was "a prerequisite for the continuation of this dynamic of peace" and also for Lebanon's economic and social recovery.
However, two of the sources and an analyst cautioned that it was not yet certain any candidate would be elected. To win, a candidate must secure 86 votes in a first round, or 65 in a second round.
‘National awakening’
Joseph Aoun would still need 86 votes because his election requires a constitutional amendment, as he is a still-serving state employee, Berri has said.
A State Department spokesperson said it was "up to Lebanon to choose its next president, not the United States or any external actor".
"We have been consistent in our efforts to press Lebanon to elect a new president, which we see as important to strengthening Lebanon’s political institutions," the spokesperson said.
Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa said last week there was "no veto" on Aoun. But the sources said Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by the United States, will not support him.
Aoun has a key role in shoring up the ceasefire brokered by Washington and Paris in November. The terms require the Lebanese military to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.
Still reeling from a financial collapse in 2019, Lebanon desperately needs foreign aid to rebuild. Much of the damage is in Shiite majority areas.
Hezbollah, its supply line to Iran severed by Assad's ousting, has urged Arab and international support for Lebanon.
Lebanon's Maronite Bishops called on lawmakers to elect a president, urging a "national awakening".