The travel bans imposed by various Gulf countries on Lebanon due to regional instabilities have drawn strong support from Arabic-language commentators.
Writing in the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat, Abdel Rahman Al Rashed said that following moves against Hizbollah initiated by Saudi Arabia, some observers seemed to believe that Hizbollah represented the Lebanese people as a whole.
“One must recall that those who assassinated [former prime minister] Rafiq Hariri, according to the results of international investigations, were members of Hizbollah. They killed him as they have killed a number of Lebanese symbols who dared to stand up to the Iranian camp – that is Hizbollah and the Assad regime [in Syria],” he wrote.
Al Rashed noted that Hizbollah had also killed ministers such as Mohammad Shatah and Basil Fleihan, military leaders including Gen Francois Al Hajj and top security officials. The party had also killed intellectuals such as George Hawi and prominent young Christian MP Pierre Gemayel, the son of the Phalange Party leader Amine Gemayel who had dared to challenge them.
The list also included the writer Samir Kassir and the editor-in-chief of Annahar newspaper, Gibran Tueni, who often wrote against Hizbollah, and Bashar Al Assad, demanding the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.
“When the militia of [Hizbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah invaded the Sunni areas of west Beirut six years ago, killing many people and destroying their property, Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Druze, took a stand against the party. Hizbollah factions retaliated by attacking Druze areas in Mount Lebanon, killing 46 people.”
Al Rashed noted that Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea was one of the bravest in standing against Hizbollah, and that even many Shia had protested against the movement’s intervention in Syria.
“My historical exposé is addressed to those who seem to mix up the Lebanese people with Hizbollah. The majority of the Lebanese people wish to be rid of Hizbollah, its ideology and its militia, for internal reasons that are not related to Saudi Arabia or Syria.
“Hizbollah has created a state of fear, caused the exodus of hundreds and thousands and repelled investors.”
He cited the Downtown Beirut project, which began 20 years ago and had been deliberately sabotaged by Hizbollah “at every opportunity”.
Al Rashed said that the decision of Saudi Arabia to withdraw its support for the Lebanese army was justified. The role of the army was to strengthen state institutions in the face of extremist organisations such as Hizbollah and ISIL, but army leaders in Lebanon were powerless to do so.
“I do not imagine that Saudi Arabia would abandon supporting the forces that stand against Hizbollah, nor will it impede dealings with the Lebanese who have nothing to do with the party,” he concluded.
In the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, columnist Rashid Saleh Al Araimi noted that the UAE was one of the first to align with Saudi Arabia in its stand, as it often warned about the dangers presented by militias that do not recognise states or their interests.
Those warnings made no distinction between Sunni and Shiite militias “for all are equal when it comes to the destruction of nations and peoples”.
Al Araimi concluded: “Will the Lebanese cabinet show sufficient wisdom to spare Lebanon the consequences of actions committed by Hizbollah and its allies? And will Hizbollah revise its positions in the interest of Lebanon and all the Lebanese? Coming days will tell.”
* Translated by Carla Mirza
cmirza@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
THREE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
