Lebanon

Israel shoots down drone near Haifa

Zoe Winograd — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:44:41 +0100

The Israel Air Force shot down an drone near Haifa on Thursday afternoon.

According to sources, the IAF launched fighter jets to bring down the unmanned aircraft believed to have been operated by the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hizbollah.

The Israel Defence Force is investigating exactly where the plane originated from and whether it was holding surveillance equipment or weaponry.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I see the attempt to breach our borders with unmanned aircraft very seriously. We will do what needs to be done in order to safeguard our security."

This is the second time an incident of this kind has occurred in the last six months.

Lebanon turmoil sign of growing peril in region

Anshel Pfeffer — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:00:30 +0100

The resignation of Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati late last month has not only plunged the country once again into political turmoil, but is also a sign that Hizbollah is seeking to tighten its control of Lebanon and parts of Syria.

Ostensibly, the resignation of Mr Mikati’s cabinet last Saturday was due to the deadlock in talks over the formation of an oversight committee for the Lebanese elections, due to be held in June. The Sunni prime minister served for less than two years as the nominee of the March 8 Alliance, a loose coalition of pro-Syria parties which includes Hizbollah. The Alliance had trouble keeping his majority together as some members changed their positions in the wake of the deepening civil war in Syria. Hizbollah had been demanding changes in the electoral laws that would boost its prospects, and had been trying to pressure Mr Mikati to appoint a new security chief who would be amenable to its military wing, which is already much more powerful than the Lebanese army.

The resignation, however, is a result of an even deeper battle for the future of the region. As Syria continues to implode, the resolve of the Iranian regime and its ally Hizbollah not to relinquish control of the Shia axis — connecting Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon — hardens.

The Syrian army units loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have lost control of large parts of the country and are relying, to an increasing degree, on a foreign legion, estimated by Israeli intelligence to be as large as 50,000 men. It is largely made up of Hizbollah and Iranian fighters.

But as Syria’s power wanes and the mainly Sunni elements in Lebanon that support the rebels believe they have a chance to regain control, Hizbollah must also shore up its support at home.

Hizbollah still has Iranian backing, and officials from Tehran visit Beirut constantly. However, without the support of Syria, the conduit for most of its weapons, it is significantly weakened. To ensure its control, the movement may be tempted to carry out a coup or even provoke a war with Israel in order to prevent elections in what it sees as disadvantageous conditions.

Israel has long seen Hizbollah, with its 50,000 missiles directed at targets all the way to Tel Aviv, as a more potent threat than Syria, which kept the Golan border quiet for nearly four decades.

The Syrian forces in the Golan, until recently comprising two entire divisions, have now all but disintegrated, leaving chaos. Israel retaliated to fire on Sunday with a missile that wounded two Syrian soldiers, and the IDF now has to prepare itself for fighting on two northern fronts while monitoring weapons smuggling by Hizbollah.

So far, Israel has tried to maintain its distance from the Syrian war and Lebanese politics, although last week it opened a field hospital in the Golan to treat wounded Syrians. The danger of Israel being sucked in to the conflagration grows daily.

Building over the past in Beirut - a restored shul but a lost Jewish community

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Beirut’s Wadi Abu Jamil quarter, locally referred to as “Wadi al-Yahoud” (“Valley of the Jews”), has risen from the bombsites. But will the Jews return? Probably not.

Lebanese artist and former Wadi Abu Jamil resident Ayman Baalbaki’s excitement is palpable. “I remember Maghen Ibrahim Synagogue. It was beautiful. Its huge gates were open; we were allowed to play football in the grounds,” says Mr Baalbaki, who has created works of art as testament to the area.

He describes a heady religious mix — “Jewish, Armenian, Syriac, Sunni and Shia Muslims” — sharing the same buildings, streets, jokes. In 1982, his happy world came crashing down when, in response to an infiltration by the PLO, the Israeli Air Force bombarded the area, hitting the synagogue in the process. Families, including Mr Baalbeki’s, fled.

The Jewish population had dwindled by this time, but not solely due to the creation of the Israel — even during the Six-Day War in 1967, many Jews could still be seen there. Sectarian tensions, random kidnappings and, ultimately, the civil war, led to a mass exodus.

In Wadi Abu Jamil, a flurry of construction sites and new builds are interspersed with relics that salute the past or, at least, part of the past.

There is a statue of Omar Daouk, the first mayor of the area, and Institution Sainte Anne, a Catholic school restored to its former glory. But besides the beautifully restored Maghen Ibrahim Synagogue, which is hidden from view, there is nothing to indicate that this was once Beirut’s Jewish neighbourhood, home to 17 synagogues, with additional schools and a nearby cemetery in Sodeco.

It is easy to find locals who, like Mr Baalbaki, are willing to share details of their past life in “Wadi al-Yahoud”. Mustapha Zein, 67, married in 1970 and bought an apartment in Boutros Tawil building, which still stands. “I had Jewish neighbours and even worked for Jews, Nouri and Olga Arazi. They were generous and would even pay me for the two months they went on holiday. I would love to meet them again. No one cared about your religion. We never asked; we just got on with our lives.”

Walking around Wadi Abu Jamil attracts little attention. But walking with a camera gets you instant friends — of the security-guard sort. It just may be because former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri lives nearby. But taking photographs of the synagogue increases one’s “friends” twofold.

While Mr Baalbak and Mr Zein are only too pleased to share their memories and thoughts, private building firms are not, with one stating that the area’s Jewish history is “too controversial” to discuss. Even Nada Abdel Samad, BBC Arabic journalist and author of the book Wadi Abu Jamil, had little to offer, saying the book is about the stories of people who once lived there, not necessarily the Jews.

Today Wadi Abu Jamil has all the hallmarks of an upmarket new town — pretty but a tad bland. Besides the shul, there is no nod to its Jewish past. History does not look like repeating itself here — at least for the Jews.

IDF shifts focus to Lebanon as Hizbollah gains firepower

Anna Sheinman — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:27:47 +0000

The Israel Defence Force is shifting its focus from Syria to Lebanon due to Hizbollah’s recent acquisition of new weaponry, including thousands of anti-tank missiles.

As Syrian government forces have been pushed out of key areas the country, Iran and Hizbollah have gained access to sophisticated weapons stores. Israeli military intelligence chief Major General Aviv Kochavi said: “They are trying and in some cases succeeding to obtain air defence capabilities, shore-to-sea missiles, surface-to-surface missiles and other capabilities.”

This increased firepower for Hizbollah has led to the IDF changing the assignments of two of its reserve brigades last week. Both are now rehearsing manoeuvres for operations in Lebanon after years of focusing on Syria, Haaretz reported.

Training is also shifting focus to deal with anti-tank missiles, thousands of which have now fallen into the hands of Hizbollah, according to military sources.

The level of military activity on the Syrian border is the highest that it has been for many years. On Sunday, the IDF fired a missile at a Syrian machine gun post after to two rounds of gunfire emanated from across the border. Two Syrians were injured but no Israelis were hurt in the exchange.

Israeli jets strike military site near Damascus

Zoe Winograd — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:20:03 +0000

According to a Syrian TV channel, Israeli planes bombed a military research centre in the Jermana area near Damascus on Wednesday.

The TV station report said that two people were killed and five wounded, with damage done to the centre which was “used to advance Syrian military capabilities.”

Israeli intelligence sources, meanwhile, say that the jets were targeting Hizbollah missiles in the area.

Earlier today a Lebanese military statement reported that four Israeli planes entered Lebanese air space late Tuesday afternoon. This was followed by two further waves of jets, which flew over Lebanon territory until 7.55am Wednesday morning.

The Israeli government is yet to provide an explanation of the operation.

This follows Israeli Air Force Major General Amir Eshel’s warning on Tuesday about the volatility of Syria.

The Lebanese Army also reported IAF activity in Lebanese air space last Saturday.

Britain's anger with Israel over 1982 Lebanon War

Jenni Frazer — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:33:01 +0000

Despite expressions of concern about the "brutal attack " on Israel's ambassador to the UK, Shlomo Argov, Margaret Thatcher's government in 1982 had very little time for Israel and its invasion of southern Lebanon.

Papers from 1982, just released by the National Archives under the 30-year rule, reveal a government more concerned with maintaining ostensible balance in the Middle East than in recognising Israel's determination to stamp out terrorism from its northern border.

On June 3 1982 Shlomo Argov, leaving a central London hotel after a charity dinner, was shot in the head by Palestinian terrorists, an assassination attempt from which the ambassador never recovered and which provided the spark for Ariel Sharon to spearhead Israel's incursion into Lebanon. But Cabinet and Foreign Office papers — apart from one anonymous handwritten scrawl "Argov shot in London" — barely refer to the shooting.

Overwhelmed with managing the Falklands War, Mrs Thatcher — though MP for Finchley and Golders Green — drew a comparison with invaded Lebanon in Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands.

Francis Pym, Foreign Secretary, made it clear publicly that Britain wholeheartedly condemned Israel's invasion. In private, the papers confirm, Britain was furious with Israel. A Foreign Office memo states: "It would be odd if we were now to conduct bilateral business with the Israelis as though nothing had happened."

An invitation to Israel to attend the British Army Equipment Exhibition was withdrawn and licences for arms sales were stopped, the papers reveal, though the Foreign Office noted bitterly that "we have considered the possibility that the likelihood of Israeli arms sales to Argentina will be increased, but given what we know of Israel's attitude and practice on this already, we do not believe that this is likely to make much difference in practice."

The papers include considerable discussion as to what was to happen to the Palestinians in Lebanon. King Hussein of Jordan, in an emotional July 4 letter to US President Ronald Reagan, included in the files, recommended that the PLO should go to Egypt: "if they must leave Lebanon, then Egypt is the best choice for them to go to. The PLO will then become truly Palestinian."

Ambassador Richard Viets, the American ambassador to Jordan, gave a comprehensive guide to regional thinking when he briefed the British ambassador in Amman. On July 6, the British ambassador wrote to London: "The Americans had concluded four or five days ago that Egypt was the logical place for the PLO to go and President Reagan had sent a message to President Mubarak proposing this. [But] Mubarak had told the US ambassador in Cairo that the proposal was unacceptable. Mubarak claimed that his colleagues in the Egyptian goverment had already expressed their dismay at his earlier offer that the PLO should establish a government in exile in Egypt and added that Egyptian public opinion would not stand for the transfer of the PLO to Cairo... Mubarak had agreed that the Palestinians were an Arab problem and favoured their dispersal in different Arab countries, in which case Egypt would be prepared to take its share of them."

Later, in response to the proposed visit of a Lebanese delegation to Britain, Mrs Thatcher wrote: "I will be delighted to see two foreign ministers but NOT a PLO representative". The Prime Minister noted in the file that "the US just does not realise the resentment she is causing in the Middle East". Mrs Thatcher stated that she did not want the United States and Britain to act alone in taking measures against Israel.

Assassination in Beirut leads to demonstrations in Lebanon

Anshel Pfeffer — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:30:36 +0100

Major General Wissam al-Hassan was a marked man years before he was assassinated by a massive car bomb in Beirut last Friday.

In Lebanon, military and security services are split by allegiances to different parties and ethnic groups. Al-Hassan’s loyalties were to the anti-Syrian March 14 coalition and the Hariri clan.

But his murder was not just a settling of accounts for the campaign he waged in the Internal Security Forces against Hizbollah and other pro-Syrian elements. It was also a signal from Syria’s direction that despite the turmoil of civil war, it has not lost its power to influence events across the border, using explosives when the need arises.

The assassination has led to violent demonstrations on the streets of Beirut, Tripoli and other Lebanese cities and towns, and calls for the resignation of the government of prime minister Najib Miqati, over which Hizbollah maintains control.

The fates of Syria and Lebanon were intertwined long before the latest developments. Syrian military units were forced to leave Lebanon by the international community following the assassination of prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005, but have kept a firm grip on the country’s affairs through a number of Lebanese power groups.
Chief among them is Hizbollah, which has built its huge arsenal from Syrian and Iranian supplies.

As chaos has engulfed Syria, the balance of power has shifted, with Hizbollah coming to the aid of the security forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. According to many reports, it has sent fighters to take part in the bloody repression of the anti-Assad demonstrations. Meanwhile, members of the March 14 opposition group have been active in shipping arms to various opposition factions fighting Assad’s forces in Syria.

The pressure is being felt not just by the Assad regime but also by its chief allies, Tehran and Hizbollah, who are anxious to safeguard the dominance of a Shia axis from Iran, through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. Assad’s fall would mean the loss of a crucial link.

Six years since the Second Lebanon War in which much of Lebanon’s infrastructure was devastated, many in Lebanon are blaming Hizbollah for unnecessarily provoking Israel. Meanwhile, Hizbollah has not fired even one bullet over the Israeli border.

Most Israeli analysts believe that Hizbollah is more focused now on bolstering its political stature and would not risk that with another military confrontation — but the loss of their key Syrian ally could change their calculations.

Lebanon angry that Homeland was filmed in Israel

Jennifer Lipman — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:40:58 +0100

When the producers of Homeland chose to return to the country where the series originated, Israeli fans were delighted, with former Hamas prisoner Gilad Shalit even making a visit to the set.

But the decision to use Israeli locations – including Jaffa and Tel Aviv – as stand - ins for areas in the Lebanese city of Beirut, has apparently angered Arab viewers.

At the start of the second series Claire Danes' character is sent to Beirut to track down a source, who has information about the fictional terrorist ringleader Abu Nazir.

But according to the Lebanese Tourism Minister, scenes showing her fleeing terrorists on the streets of Beirut or dodging gunmen in a private home on Hamra Street are misrepresentative of the city. Hizbollah is widely believed to operate out of Beirut and the southern Lebanon area.

"The Information Minister is studying media laws to see what can be done," said Fadi Abboud, the Tourism Minister. "[Homeland] showed Hamra Street with militia roaming in it. This does not reflect reality."

He told Associated Press: "It was not filmed in Beirut and does not portray the real image of Beirut."

Homeland also filmed scenes in Israel before the first series – inspired by Gideon Raff's Hebrew-language series about missing soldiers returning home - became an international hit. Then, it was used as a double for Iraq.

Speaking to the New York Times magazine recently, Ms Danes referred to the "extremely positive and generous spirit towards us," that she experienced during filming. "The tension was palpable… but I didn't ever feel particularly threatened," she added. "It has been a lot more fun and cosmopolitan than I had anticipated."

A weakened Hizbollah spells danger for Israel

Anshel Pfeffer — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:13:18 +0100

Saeed Jalili, the mild-mannered secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and special adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, undertook a whirlwind visit of Syria and Lebanon two weeks ago.

While the aim of his trip to Damascus was clear — to show Tehran’s continued support of embattled President Bashar al-Assad — the reasons for his meetings in Beirut with the leaders of the Lebanese government were more ambiguous.

“We respect Lebanon because of its resistance and the prominent role it plays with regards to the region’s security and stability,” he said on arrival in Beirut. But if anyone thought that this was a guarantee that the Land of the Cedars was not returning to the bad old days of civil war, shortly after Mr Jalili’s departure, a round of internecine kidnappings broke out which have led to an escalation of hostilities between a variety of local groups.

So far, Iran’s main proxy and the strongest armed force in Lebanon, Hizbollah, has remained officially above the fray, its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, paying lip-service to stability. But most of the kidnappings were carried out by Shia clans with strong Hizbollah ties who have acted in the past as subcontractors for the movement. More than 20 men, mainly Syrian nationals thought to be linked to the Syrian National Army fighting against the forces still loyal to Assad, have been kidnapped, as has one Turkish national.

The climate of lawlessness has spread across Lebanon as armed groups have taken control of roads to the Syrian border and to Beirut airport. Militias identified with the various ethnic communities have begun to re-arm after a decade of relative peace, and Arab governments have called upon their nationals to leave Lebanon at once.

Many analysts see the hand of Hizbollah behind events.

The movement derives much of its strength from Syrian and Iranian backing. Damascus International Airport is a crucial link for arms consignments from Iran and North Korea and, without Syrian and Iranian support, Hizbollah’s stranglehold on Lebanese politics is in danger.

The latest round of violence acted as a reminder to all parties that Hassan Nasrallah holds the key to continued stability and economic prosperity or, alternatively, a descent back into bloodshed.

Reasserting its military dominance in Lebanon is not the only way out for Hizbollah, of course: there is always the option to launch another strike on Israel.

IDF General warns on Syria and 'existential war' facing Israel

Jennifer Lipman — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0100

A senior figure in the Israeli army has warned that Syria is home to "the world's largest arsenal of chemical weapons".

Speaking at a ceremony to mark three decades since the battle of Sultan Yacoub between Israeli and Syrian troops during the first Lebanon war, Maj Gen Yair Naveh cautioned that little had changed in the intervening period.

Maj Gen Naveh, who is the deputy chief of staff of the IDF, said that the reality was "that the neighbourhood has not changed".

"The Middle East still has the same players. Unfortunately, we are slowly returning to the reality of an existential war, a ritual that has spanned generations."

Noting Syria's capacity to attack Israel with rockets and missiles, and the Assad regime's links with the terrorist group Hizbollah, he said the IDF needed to prepare for existential threats from the northern border.

"We had hoped for 40 years of quiet, but we were obviously wrong," he said. "Those Syrians who do that to their own people will do the same thing to us if they get the chance".

Twenty-one Israeli soldiers were killed during the fighting in Lebanon on June 11 1982, while three - Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman – were captured by the Syrians and remain on the list of Israel's missing in action soldiers.