Middle East Experience

The last two weeks of tumultuous change in Lebanon have revealed a country suffering from a chronic disease – one that the Lebanese people have long diagnosed but struggled to cure.During Saturday’s protests at Martryr’s Square in Beirut, I witnessed hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people come out to demand change from a political system plagued with corruption.Young and old chanted “Thoura” – “Revolution” in English - and “Kilon yaani kilon” – all of them means all of them, a call for the entire political class to step down from power.These chants have been heard in the streets since October, when the recent wave of anti-government protests broke out.The diseaseEvery Lebanese person I spoke with could identify the disease in the political system: politicians that profit off the backs of the people who they claim to represent.The disease of corruption had now taken over 170 lives in the Beirut port explosion, which many Lebanese attribute to negligence as authorities left 2,750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate in a warehouse close to the densely populated city center.Signs read: “The blood of victims are on the government’s hands” and “my government killed my people.” An older man held up a sign with figurines that looked like politicians hanging from nooses.The message was clear: corruption had not just destroyed the Lebanese economy but had also directly led to people’s deaths, and the Lebanese people would not stay silent.Every Lebanese protester I spoke with could recite a long list of corrupt activities by politicians from across the political class. The protesters frequently ended with the demand that the tumor of corruption plaguing the country must be removed.But when I asked what led to the tumor, everyone had a different diagnosis.Different diagnosesOne older woman said that Lebanon’s religious factions are to blame. Lebanon has a sectarian political system that requires a Maronite Christian president, a Sunni Muslim prime minister, and Shia Muslim speaker of parliament.These three roles can only go to someone of that designated religious affiliation - a framework established following the country’s civil war. As a result, the major political parties in the country maintain largely sectarian support bases.While the system intends to ensure a balance of different religious sects in the country, a framework based on religion perpetuates religious divisions, the woman said.This can lead politicians to act in a way that benefits their own community, who elect them, rather than the good of the nation as a whole.One young Lebanese man said that the real cause of the political plague was nepotism, associated with the Arabic concept of “wasta.”Once someone assumes political office in Lebanon, he or she appoints their family members to other positions to ensure the family has a presence in the political system forever, he said.The case of Gebran Bassil, the former foreign minister who is the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, has been used as an example by protesters.Others pointed the finger abroad, saying that foreign countries such as Iran, Israel, and the United States are interfering in Lebanon, enabling domestic politicians to manipulate the system.One sign held up by protesters on Saturday read: “Help! We are hostages of a corrupted government and an Iranian religious militia,” a reference to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.No cureBut while the people on the streets gave a variety of diagnoses, when asked to suggest a cure their response was uniform: “There is no cure.”Unlike protests elsewhere, the protesters do not have a detailed roadmap for the country or specific goals.The behemoth of political depravity has become so large that has it blocked the Lebanese people from imagining a future without it.“There is no solution,” I would hear when I asked what would solve the country’s current situation.Some said their short-term goal was the resignation of the government – naming President Aoun, Prime Minister Hassan Diab, and longtime parliament speaker Nabih Berri.But there was no consensus on who would replace these leaders in a power vacuum.The government cabinet resigned Monday night, undoubtedly influenced by the protests over the weekend.The resignation is evidence that the voice in the body of Lebanon demanding justice and change, has the perseverance to outlast cronyism and shirking of responsibility – though the old political elite still holds power in the state.Now, Lebanon is at a watershed moment. It needs a vaccine to rid itself of the disease of corruption forever.The remedy may be complex, perhaps even unattainable.But on the ground in the protests, it is clear Lebanon has citizens committed to healing their country in the wake of a global pandemic, economic crisis, political unrest, and an unprecedented tragedy.Read more:Before and after the explosion: Beirut port blast in picturesBeirut silo devised by Palestinian-Lebanese banker saved lives during blast: ReportAfter Beirut explosion, Lebanese American politicians stand with Lebanon
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon’s people are calling out the disease of corruption, but say cure out of reach

For American universities to safely reopen in the fall, all students on campus must be screened for the coronavirus at least every two to three days, according to a new Yale University study.Researchers at Yale’s School of Public Health said that the frequent COVID-19 testing is needed for pupils due to “limitations on regulating student behavior on campus,” according to Yale News.The team said it recognized that the findings “set a high bar” and “may not, in fact, be feasible.”However, Dr. Kaveh Khoshnood, a professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, said that the recommended protocol may be achievable with lower-priced tests.“There are several companies producing less expensive tests - some using saliva instead of nasal swabs - that provide rapid results that can meet this need,” said Dr. Khoshnood in an interview with Al Arabiya English.“I think in the absence of an effective vaccine, doing cheap tests every few days is the only safe way to reopen schools and businesses,” said Khoshnood.“Frankly, I can’t think of any alternatives,” he added.The study, led by Yale Professor A. David Paltiel, concluded that frequency of testing is more effective than accuracy of the tests, when it comes to preventing a significant coronavirus outbreak on campus.“Testing every two days, even with a low-quality test will avert more infections than weekly testing with a higher-quality alternative,” said the report in Yale News.It is not be sufficient for universities “to simply monitor students for the symptoms of COVID-19,” according to the report.“Any school that cannot meet these minimum screening standards or maintain uncompromising control over good prevention practices has to ask itself if it has any business reopening,” Paltiel told Yale News.Some universities, including Yale, are bringing a portion of students back to campus for classes in the fall, while others like Harvard University have announced the fall undergraduate semester will be taught solely online.Harvard has said it will allow some students to live on campus, with the requirement that they will have to be tested every three days.Read more:Lebanon’s people are calling out the disease of corruption, but say cure out of reachBeirut silo devised by Palestinian-Lebanese banker saved lives during blast: ReportAfter Beirut explosion, Lebanese American politicians stand with Lebanon
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Testing students every 2 days needed to reopen schools, Yale study says

At 6:08 pm in Beirut on Tuesday, church bells rang and mosques called for prayer at the precise moment a massive explosion ravaged the Lebanese capital a week earlier.The August 4 blast left more than 160 people dead, 6,000 injured and nearly 300,000 homeless and caused a political earthquake that brought down the government on Monday.Near the port, several hundred Lebanese gathered, mostly dressed in white, some of them from the devastated nearby Gemmayze neighborhood.Waving placards with the names of victims, their nationality and a green cedar, the emblem of Lebanon, they marked the tragic moment the gigantic explosion blew up entire neighborhoods.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Some were crying, others held back their tears with great difficulty.On a giant screen, videos of the blast were shown, along with scenes of the panic that followed, in the harborside districts that have been transformed into fields of ruins.“We will not mourn, we will not wear black until we bury those in power,” said one of the speakers as the list of victims’ names scrolled down the screen.“All means all,” the mourners chanted to call for the departure not just of the government but of the entire political class they blame for the tragedy.Read more:Lebanon’s people are calling out the disease of corruption, but say cure out of reachBeirut explosion: PM and president knew about 2,750 tonnes of chemicals last month
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Emotional moment as one week on, Beirut mourns its devastating loss

A US contractor spotted and reported the ammonium nitrate that led to last week's deadly explosions, during a security inspection to the Port of Beirut in 2016, the New York Times reported Tuesday.“The diplomatic cable, marked unclassified but sensitive, was issued by the United States Embassy in Lebanon on Friday,” the New York Times said about a cable that included the details of the contractor’s findings who was working with the US Army at the time.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The contractor was a consultant and advised the Lebanese Navy from 2013 to 2016, the cable read.Al Arabiya English could not independently confirm the cable and the State Department did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Read more: Hezbollah softens stance on Israel maritime border dispute after Lebanese rageA US official spoke to the NYT on the condition of anonymity. The official revealed that the contractor made an unofficial visit to the Port of Beirut, but “was not at the time a US government or State Department employee.”And according to the official, the State Department had no record of the contractor’s finding until after the Aug. 4 explosions.This comes after Reuters cited official documents and Lebanese security officials as warning resigned-Prime Minister Hassan Diab and President Michel Aoun last month that the 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at the port had the potential to destroy the capital.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US contractor inspected Port of Beirut in 2016, warned about explosive chemicals: NYT

Comment: Intimidation and detention without charge, as in the case of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Nawajaa, is a common Israeli tactic aided by a climate of international impunity, writes Malia Bouattia..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: #FreeMahmoud: As BDS gains ground, Israel makes Palestinian activists pay the price

Angry Lebanese said the government’s resignation on Monday did not come close to addressing the tragedy of last week’s Beirut explosion and demanded the removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling class to blame for the country’s woes..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Angry Lebanese demand removal of ‘corrupt ruling class’

Tehran is cautious over developments taking place in Lebanon, where a….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iran 'wary' of political changes in Lebanon following Beirut blast

The Israeli foreign ministry accused Belgium of funding organisations that 'attempt to silence supporters of Israel'..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Israel summons Belgium ambassador over 'anti-Israel' NGOs

Israel Police conduct searches on a daily basis to make sure that incendiary devices are found and neutralized.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Police sappers working around the clock to neutralize balloon terror

More than 230 people injured after tear gas, rubber bullets and pellets fired indiscriminately into crowds..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon: Military and security forces attack unarmed protesters following explosions – new testimony