Diplomacy & Crisis News

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The president doubles down on his support for the Saudi crown prince without citing further evidence.

America’s top general admits the war is at an impasse.

Trying protest leaders fairly would show the city still has a fair justice system.

The market's in the mainland, but the freedom to create is in Taiwan.

Les Américains le nomment Rio Grande, les Mexicains, Rio Bravo. Aux postes frontières qui séparent les villes de Laredo (Texas) et Nuevo Laredo (Tamaulipas), c'est un fleuve ni majestueux ni beau, tout au plus une rivière à la piètre allure, à la couleur indéfinissable et qui dégage une symphonie (...) / Mexique, Immigrés, Logement, Travail - 1999/12

In the medium term, they’ll make it hard for the country to keep up oil production, satisfy domestic demand, and fund the government.

A Nouméa en janvier, à Paris ce mois de février, les discussions ont commencé entre les principaux partenaires pour préparer le référendum qui doit en principe sceller en 1998 le sort de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Aura-t-il seulement lieu, et pour décider de quoi ? Le mouvement indépendantiste demeure (...) / Nouvelle-Calédonie - 1996/02

The Druze religion is a very ancient religion that is proven in the Bible and the New Testament.  It started from the days of Jethro, the priest of Median in the Bible.   At that period of time, the religion consisted of tribes and united ethnic groups.  It wasn’t a religion that emerged of the boundaries of the tribe or ethnic group because every group adopted a unique number of goddesses and idols that they used to pray to.  Everybody respected the people’s willingness to pray to whatever goddess that they wished.

The Prophet Jethro, which is considered the first prophet, brought the words of God to his people.  Jethro was the first of a number of prophets who brought the words of the lord to his people.  The miracles that happened during the Exodus to the Jewish people occurred while Jethro was the figure that guided and directed Moses, who did the actions that became the miracles that saved the Jewish people.

 For example, the Prophet Jethro advised Moses to hit the Red Sea and therefore, the Red Sea split.   He also told Moses to hit the rock and then water came from the rock.  He also advised Moses to have officers and judges that were able to take over what happened in the tribes.  This was the foundation of law, authority and democracy to the present all over the world.  These actions led to the Israelis receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai by believing in Moses.

The history that relates to the Druze faith contain a lot of facts that deny its foundations because most of the historians that wrote about the Druze religion were Muslim.   Also, historical sources from Western countries relied upon those sources and as we know, Islam never recognized the Druze faith as a separate faith and considered them a section of Islam, which went out of it, which is actually the semi-truth and not the whole truth.

The Druze lived in the Mediterranean at a time when this area was named Israel, Bilad Al Sham, the Greater Syria and many other names.   They are the only people that kept their genetic roots because they bar mixed marriages with other nations.  They did not go to other countries and they stayed in the same geographic area, keeping the same genetic root that belongs to this area until the present.   The believers (Muwahhidun) were living in calm and peace until the ninth century, without any fear and they lived in harmony among the neighbors.   But when the Islamic faith started to spread, they were forced to join Islam under the threat of death (or you become Muslim or you die).  So the leader of the tribe said, “If that nation (Islam) took over you, go after it but keep your principles and your faith.”

  This is how the believers (Al Muwahhidun) entered Islam while keeping the principles of their faith.   But the Prophet of Islam did not agree with their original name and changed it to the name the sons of mercy (the sons of Ma’arof) for the Muslims believed that the term believers (Al Muwahhidun) should be unique to Islam.

This is how it was kept until the 11th century, when the fight over the Caliphate heirs and the separation of the Shia from the Sunni section of Islam provided the Druze with an opportunity to leave Islam and to come back to their own principles and faith.  Since the dividing of the Shia from the Sunni referred to all the sections that belonged to the Shia, the Druze are considered to be part of the Shia sect but they never had a religious bond with the Shia.   For the Druze people, the name Druze is a mockery name that was attached to the Druze people but their real name is the Al Al Muwahhidun, the believers, those who believe in one God.

After they came back to the principles of the religion, the areas with a majority of Druze actually came about in order to convince people to come back to their own original faith and also to join new tribes to the Druze faith.   They wanted to live together as a community.  But when the messengers decided upon that mission was chosen, the military leader Nashtakin Al Darazi, who parted ways with the religious establishment, was very upset and claimed that this is an insult to send people that are lower than him on such an important mission.  Since he did not accept the decision of the separation of the authorities, he decided to divide and to take whoever wants to join him.  In order to survive, he started to attack tribes in order to take their belongings and this is how he was surviving.  This person spread fear among the tribes.

In the beginning, the Muslims blamed the whole Ma’arof people (the Druze) since he is part of the Druze people to begin with.  But afterwards, it was known that he was divided from the Druze and because of his cruelty, everyone started to call the people Druze after his name.  By the years, the name of this people became to be Druze.  In the beginning, it was a great insult to call the son of the Ma’arof Druze but now it has become so common that there is no need to get offended and to cause great chaos over nothing.  Also, the name cannot change the nobility of a people who remain leaders until the present.

Until today, after all of the rivalries and despite all of the ethnic cleansing, the believers managed to survive but also today, the Druze people are a minority where the threat of annihilation is still upon them more than any other ethnic group.   As for the separation from the Ma’arof people from Islam, resulting in the people coming back to their own principles and faith (Al Tuchaid), that action made the Muslims very upset and they chased after them in order to annihilate them.

This is why the believers (Al Muwahhidun) moved to live in the mountains, which is a strategic place in which they can defend themselves from Muslims attacks.  In the hill and the mountains, they have the natural surroundings that make it difficult for the Muslims to destroy them over there.   Until the present, the Druze live on the Carmel Mountains, the Galilee Mountains, the Golan Heights, the Lebanon Mountains and the Houran Mountains in Syria.  Until today, they have a unique lifestyle and traditions that they hide in order to avoid a clash among the other populations that surround them.

Written by Mendi Safadi, who has formerly served as Israeli Minister Ayoob Kara’s chief of staff and presently heads the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights.

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Evgueni Primakov, Au cœur du pouvoir : Mémoires politiques, Editions de Syrtes, 2002 (version en anglais 2001)


Evgueni Primakov fut l’un des acteurs soviétiques puis russes les plus influents de la fin de la guerre froide et de la période qui suivit. Orientaliste distingué à la tête de l'Institut d'économie mondiale et des relations internationales de l'Académie des sciences, journaliste, c’est sous Gorbatchev qu’il devient en 1989 Président du Soviet de l'Union, puis membre du Conseil présidentiel (1990-91), où il suit la guerre du Golfe. Nommé ensuite sous Boris Eltsine Directeur du Service des renseignements extérieurs de Russie (SVR, 1991-96), ministre des Affaires Etrangères (1996-98), et enfin Premier ministre – ou « président du gouvernement » (1998-99), il sera, après son éviction candidat aux législatives puis Président de la Chambre de commerce et d'industrie (2001-2011). Il disparut en 2015.
L’homme n’est pas un repenti. Il défend son système, réfute les accusations nombreuses portées à l’encontre de l’URSS (par exemple celle d’avoir incité l’Egypte à attaquer Israël à plusieurs reprises), et a même témoigné en faveur de Slobodan Milosevic à La Haye. Ses mémoires retracent, de son point de vue précieux, des épisodes clefs : les soubresauts de la fin de l’URSS et des débuts de la Russie (jusqu’au départ d’Eltsine et à l’arrivée de Poutine, auquel il se rallie finalement), la guerre du Golfe (1990-91), les paradoxes de la perestroïka de Gorbatchev et ses erreurs, son action à la tête des renseignements extérieurs, puis à la tête de la diplomatie russe, notamment sur les dossiers du Kosovo, du processus de paix au Proche-Orient. On y croise les leaders russes bien sûr mais aussi les présidents et secrétaires d'Etat américains, Saddam Hussein, Arafat, Hafez al-Assad, Milosevic, Castro, des dirigeants européens, surtout Chirac et Védrine, qu’il apprécie tous deux visiblement. Il plaide naturellement pour la sincérité russe, et contre les erreurs occidentales, notamment dans les guerres du Golfe de 1991 et du Kosovo en 1999, sans parler bien sûr de l'élargissement de l’OTAN, dont les américains avaient promis sous Bush senior qu’il n’aurait pas lieu. Opposé à l'intervention militaire russe en Tchétchénie, il n’épargne pas pour autant les boïeviki (combattants) tchétchènes « sanguinaires ».
Avec humour et élégance, il trace le panorama de près d’un demi-siècle russe et international, souvent à partir de sa spécialité : le Moyen-Orient. En guerre avec « la famille », ou l’entourage de Eltsine qui finit par l’écarter, il dénonce la corruption qui s’est emparée de la russie dans la décennie 1990, sans glorifier pour autant Gorbatchev. Peu tendre avec la politique américaine, il reste objectif et brosse le tableau de relations de confiance, et même amicales, avec de nombreux américains. Plus qu’un militant, c’est en membre éminent de l’élite diplomatique internationale qu’il témoigne dans son ouvrage, avec humanité souvent, mais sans regrets.

Jean-Marc Simon, Secrets d’Afrique. Le témoignage d’un ambassadeur, Cherche Midi, 2016Jean-Marc Simon fut ambassadeur en République centrafricaine, au Nigéria, au Gabon et en Côte d’Ivoire, et dans plusieurs cabinets ministériels. Elevé à la dignité d’ambassadeur de France par François Fillon en 2011, proche de Michel Roussin (l’un des hommes des dossiers africains de la chiraquie), toujours actif dans le conseil en Afrique (à la tête de Eurafrique Stratégies), il revient, dans un style diplomatique classique mais efficace, sur plusieurs de ses postes ou missions, au Tchad, dans l’afrique du Sud de l’apartheid, sur le Rwanda, longuement sur la Centrafrique, au Nigéria (où il fut maître de stage ENA d’un certain Emmanuel Macron), au Gabon, en Côte d’Ivoire. Rien hélas sur sur les Philippines, le Pérou et le Liban, certes hors d’Afrique, où il fut pourtant en poste. Des portraits saisissants – souvent aimables – parsèment ces mémoires : Hissein Habré, Pik Botha, Ange-Félix Patassé, Omar Bongo surtout, ou encore les protagonistes du drame ivoirien, Gbagbo, Ouattara et Bédié. Pas de révélation fracassante sur la « françafrique », quelques passages peut-être même trop courts (sur le rôle de l’armée française en Côte d’Ivoire dans l’extrême tension de 2004, ou la chute de Gbagbo en 2011). Le fil de nombreux épisodes est retracé de l’intérieur, avec quelques scènes saisissantes. La politique française est défendue dans un exposé assez clair, et revendiqué à droite, tandis que la méthode jospin (1997-2002) est égratignée pour son « ni ingérence, ni indifférence », auquel l’auteur ne croit pas : « En l’occurrence, c’est souvent l’indifférence qui prévaut ». Les ambiguïtés ou complexités de plusieurs chefs d'Etat apparaissent, sous une plume pourtant diplomatique. Hissein Habré n’en est pas l’un des moindres. L’opération Manta de 1984 et l’affrontement de François Mitterrand avec Kadhafi, la cohabitation de 1986-88, bien d’autres épisodes sont retracés. Ni regrets ni remords, ni sur le système Foccart ni sur le Rwanda. Peu de secrets en réalité, mais un témoignage qui permet de mieux comprendre ce que fut l’approche française et celle de ses acteurs, dans une Afrique qui aujourd’hui n’est plus la même.

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http://www.quiz-maker.com/QS7388D

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Hindus protesting against Hamas

In the light of the present security crisis in Israel, where Israel just agreed to a cease-fire after facing a barrage of almost 500 rockets and mortars being fired into the southern part of the country, a group of Indians decided to demonstrate in support of Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism. “Today’s demonstration in New Delhi was organized on behalf of three organizations: The Safadi Center, the World Hindu Struggle Committee and the Hindu Struggle Committee (India),” Shipan Kumer Basu, who heads the World Hindu Struggle Committee, reported.

“On behalf of the World Hindu Struggle committee, I protest against the cowardly attacks by Hamas,” Basu proclaimed. “The Hindus of Bangladesh always support Israel. Arun Upadhava, President of the Hindu Struggle Committee (India), and I stand in solidarity with Mendi Safadi, who heads the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Research, Public Relations and Human Rights and the rest of the Israeli people. Many local people also partook in the demonstration.”

“I stand from New Delhi in a demonstration in support of IDF soldiers and the land of Israel in its struggle against Palestinian terrorism,” Safadi stated in an exclusive interview. “The people who stand here are pro-Israel. Many Hindus came in order to express their support and to encourage the State of Israel at this critical hour. These have been difficult times for us. We hope that now we have a mission to eradicate the terrorism.”

In recent days, a Druze IDF officer was killed during an exchange of fire in Gaza. A Palestinian man in Ashkelon was murdered when a rocket struck the apartment building where he was working. Eight other people were injured in that attack including two women in critical condition. And a rocket hit a bus, resulting in one person being critically injured. Israel has faced a barrage of constant non-stop rocket fire throughout the southern part of the country for the last couple of days, until the cease-fire was implemented last night. The Barzalai Medical Center reported that they have treated 93 patients following the latest rocket barrage on Israel.

As a result of the security situation, the IDF responded by striking 160 targets within Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, at least 5 Palestinians were killed during the IDF strikes on Gaza and 7 other Palestinians including a senior level Hamas member died during an exchange of fire with IDF forces in Gaza. One of the targets was Al Aqsa TV, a media outlet associated with Hamas.

The residents of Southern Israel are suffering greatly from this situation. According to IDF Radio, Yigal Suissa, a resident of Sderot who was injured in the leg, proclaimed, “They do not need to harm us physically. All of us are hurting mentally.” Another resident, whose home was struck in a rocket attack, reported, “Our home is a battle scene now. When you come out alive and healthy from an incident like this, the home is already less important.”

Nevertheless, even though the carnage in Israel recently was significantly worse than the violence leading up to Operation Protective Edge, Israel decided to accept a cease-fire, a move which the residents of Southern Israel protested against. According to Channel 2 News, they blocked off the Kerem Shalom Crossing due to their displeasure with the cease-fire. Meanwhile, following the implementation of the cease-fire, a Palestinian terrorist threw a grenade along the Gaza border. But Netanyahu has defended his cease-fire, claiming that it is in the best interests of the country and he stressed that Hamas essentially begged for it. He added that he loves the residents of the South but he cannot share with them all of his considerations.

Even though the move was controversial among the residents of Southern Israel, a Palestinian source explained why the cease-fire was the correct decision: “Everyone is seeking a cease-fire and I am sure that Hamas is trying to show off it is the one paid the heaviest price and is the one who is to impose the cease-fire in order to assert its authority. What happens afterwards is crucial for Hamas and their armed existence in Gaza. The Egyptian Army might get involved. The risks are rising for that to happen. They want a cease-fire for they cannot deal with a situation where the Egyptian army becomes involved in this.”

He added that everyone is focusing on the sad ghastly images coming out of Gaza and that this does not make Israel look good internationally. However, he noted that members of the community of nations do not have to deal with the barrage of violence that Israel deals with daily. According to the Palestinian source, “Only the PA wants this. The PA are sacrificing their own people. They are not gaining anything by these splits between them. They are only losing. They are losing the popularity. The people are losing. Everyone is losing on both sides. The only losers are civilians. They are losing just because they are what they are.”

“We are sick and tired of war,” he proclaimed. “This got to stop once and for all. It is sickening. It is a different age. It is not the age of the First Intifada. The people have to wake up in order to enable peace. Give it a break. Every human has the right to live. No human has the right to kill, be hostile and be aggressive. I don’t see a reason to lash out at each other all of these decades. Every parent should be worried about their children’s future.” He believes that only Egypt can solve Gaza’s problems and that another war would not accomplish anything for Israel, and Netanyahu knows this.

Israeli scholar Dr. Mordechai Kedar concurred with the Palestinian source: “Israel doesn’t want a war. Israel doesn’t need a war. Israel is looking for ways on how to live alongside Hamas rather than fighting it, hoping that a day will come and Hamas in one way or another, will accept our existence and to leave us alone. This is the Israeli hope and this is why Israel will do anything that it can do to stabilize the situation in Gaza by allowing Qatar, a terror supporting country, to bring money in order to fund a terror organization. Israel will bend over backwards even at the price of supporting terror by Hamas and Qatar in order to gain strategically and to achieve peaceful coexistence for a while. The government hopes recently that Hamas does not want a confrontation and will also join some kind of agreement, which will enable a better livelihood on both sides of the border.”

Former Israel Consul General Yitzchak Ben Gad agreed, noting that Israelis who want to take action against Hamas are not considering the long-term consequences: “The people of Gaza suffer. They suffer from economic depression. They only have light in their homes for a few hours a day. Gaza within a few years will be a place where people cannot live. We don’t want to go in and take this responsibility upon us. Hamas won in free elections. People are suffering today under the dictatorship of this organization. Israel got nothing to do with it. Israel is willing to help the people of Gaza. We send them trucks heavy with loads. But we are not going to be kind and nice to these people and then get missiles on our heads.”

It is precisely for this reason that Kedar does not agree with the decision taken by the Israeli government. “The Israeli government and the army as well do not understand that living with Israel side by side is actually against the raison d’etre of Hamas,” Kedar explained. “Hamas is a terror organization, who is fully committed to the jihad until the full eradication of the State of Israel. For Hamas, the occupation is what happened in 1948, not what happened in 1967. It means the State of Israel should not exist at all. Therefore, accepting Israel and making any agreement with Israel is totally against the most basic credo of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and all of the other terror organizations in Gaza. This is why we came to this position where Israel lost its deterrence, which should have been the basis of any conversation with and about Hamas in Gaza. I support a limited operation, with a very narrow operation on the ground in order not to expose our soldiers to the giant dangers involved in urban warfare, which is very expensive and costly in terms of soldiers’ lives. The government had a very thorough discussion about what should be done and can be done, which is not always the same.”

“The time has come for them to pay the price for the provocation and the damage,” Ben Gad declared. “Hundreds of thousands of people live in Sderot, Ofakim, Ashkelon, etc. Therefore, if you continue with your provocation, you will pay a heavy price for that. What happened was a strong message to the Hamas that the price will be so heavy and painful that it is not worth it to start it again with us. The Hamas has its own ideology. Bibi cannot change overnight their philosophy. Israel has to make it clear to Hamas, think whatever you want but if you start shooting missiles and burning our fields, you will pay a heavy peace. We are not asking you to recognize Israel. Israel does not exist because of you but despite you.”

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