The Hidden Agenda Behind the Attacks on Joseph Aoun
Michel Touma 28/03 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In the political life of a nation, it is often necessary to set the record straight and to place the current situation within its broader national context. In other words, it is important to return to the foundational principles that guide a people’s evolution of at a specific historical moment. In the case of Lebanon, this approach becomes ...
A Top Priority: Ending the War Games
Michel Touma 24/03 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Houthis Ali Khamenei
This is referred to as "playing with fire." Or, in more academic terms, an act of unfathomable recklessness—one marked by reprehensible indifference and a cynical disregard for third-party populations, who are manipulated and sacrificed to serve entirely foreign interests. Imam Khamenei might want to review the significant reference work by ...
US Raids on the Houthis: A Militia Seeking a Crushing Blow
Michel Touma 17/03 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump Gulf Hezbollah Houthi
There are times when one must confront reality and acknowledge the truth, however harsh it may be. In certain parts of the MENA region and the Gulf, specific politico-sociological factions — shaped by a distinct mindset — remain entrenched in rigid denial. The well-known “ostrich policy,” in other words. This is particularly evident in the ...
March 14, 2005: A Turning Point and a Pillar
Michel Touma 14/03 10:50 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
“The Cedar Revolution,” “Lebanon First,” “Culture of Connection”… These are just a few of the defining slogans that came to represent what some would call the “Beirut Spring” or the “Second Independence.” These powerful expressions emerged in the wake of a massive, popular rally ...
Subversion in Syria: The Extent of Iran’s Involvement
Michel Touma 10/03 11:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump UN Security Council Damascus Hezbollah Israel
The main pieces are being put in place… A likely diplomatic showdown — or, if diplomacy fails, a military confrontation — between the Iranian axis and the Western camp is clearly taking shape, both in Lebanon and across the regional landscape. Several clear signs of this looming standoff have surfaced in recent days amid an increasingly ...
The President in Riyadh: Back to the Fundamentals
Michel Touma 03/03 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Joseph Aoun Hezbollah Joe Raggi Riyadh Saudi Arabia
The President in Riyadh: Back to the Fundamentals Two brief yet decisive statements that speak volumes: “Lebanon has endured enough from other people’s wars” (on its territory); “The decision of war and peace must rest solely with the state.” President Joseph Aoun has repeated these words on multiple occasions, capturing with striking ...
Misleading Appearances
Michel Touma 24/02 08:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun
A relentless mobilization and exploitation of the popular masses on Lebanese soil. The objective: to offset the massive strategic losses suffered in recent months. This appears to be the defining feature of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ approach—and, by extension, that of Hezbollah, its frontline proxy—in the coming phase. Neither ...
Beirut International Airport Turmoil: The Hidden Side of the Iceberg
Michel Touma 16/02 22:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Iran UNIFIL Joseph Aoun
For those who remained skeptical, reluctant to acknowledge the reality before them, the past few days should have dispelled any lingering doubt. Hezbollah has once again provided undeniable proof that its political agenda and modus operandi stand in stark opposition to the construction of a unified, sovereign state. More than ever, the Lebanese ...
Rafic Hariri and the Rise of Political Sunnism
Michel Touma 14/02 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Hezbollah Saudi Arabia Rafic Hariri Sunni
“No one can be greater than their country,” Rafic Hariri once remarked. Yet, two dominant forces in Lebanon challenged this notion: Hariri himself and Hezbollah. Their conflicting vision led to a violent confrontation—an all-out clash of titans—one that reached its climax 20 years ago, on February 14, 2005, when the former ...
Government: Breaking Away from the Legacy of May 7, 2008
Michel Touma 10/02 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Hezbollah Government Doha
Politics are ever-changing, particularly in a volatile region like the Middle East. No power or faction can maintain dominance indefinitely. The formation of the first government under President Joseph Aoun is a striking illustration of this reality, particularly in the case of Hezbollah. This new cabinet marks a clear break from the political ...
The Battle for the 'Time' Factor
Michel Touma 03/02 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah Joseph Aoun
The (highly relative) calm preceding the storm? A worrying question is likely on everyone’s lips — especially on the eve of the crucial meeting between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set for Tuesday, February 4, in Washington. The course of events in the coming months will largely hinge on the outcome of ...
A Trip Back in Time
Michel Touma 27/01 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Emmanuel Macron Hassan Nasrallah Hamas Hezbollah Israel
Civilians who headed to the border villages of southern Lebanon on Sunday, seemingly spurred on by Hezbollah, demonstrated remarkable audacity. The standard-bearers of the “resistance” will likely frame this as yet another “victory,” merely because residents sought to return to certain localities despite repeated warnings from the Israeli ...
Dispute with Iran: The Issues at Stake
Michel Touma 20/01 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine Hezbollah
There are none so deaf as those who will not hear, and none so blind as those who will not see. These adages resonate particularly well when reflecting on the “puppet masters” in both Tehran and the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially in the aftermath of significant geopolitical shifts that have reverberated throughout the Middle East in ...
The Appointment of the Prime Minister: Beware of the Tripwire
Michel Touma 13/01 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Joseph Aoun Hezbollah United States Prime Minister
The challenging journey has officially begun. At the starting line, President Joseph Aoun has clearly outlined the key directions. In his inaugural address to the National Assembly, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, the head of state presented a roadmap that breaks with conventional approaches and entrenched clichés. “My aim is ...
A Herculean Task for the New President
Michel Touma 09/01 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Banks Central Bank of Lebanon European Union Gulf Hezbollah
The moment of truth is upon us—the time for decisive choices and a critical turning point for the country. Regardless of the outcome of the January 9 election, the election of Lebanon's 14th president presents a historic opportunity to claim the country’s rightful place in the emerging regional order. The new president will immediately face ...
In Pursuit of a President Defying the Detrimental Mini-State
Michel Touma 06/01 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Hamas Hezbollah Israel Middle East President
The Iranian mullahs' camp and their local allies have adopted excessive tactics of intimidation, threats and coercive politics. They revel in flaunting their defiance, entrenched in denial, loudly proclaiming that the "resistance" remains intact, "strong" and poised for a swift revival. While listening to their rhetoric and observing the arrogance ...
Middle East Crisis: A Challenging Transformation
Michel Touma 2024-12-30 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Hezbollah Middle East Benjamin Netanyahu Tehran
It was hardly surprising. In this part of the world, where decades of chronic turmoil are frequently interrupted by bouts of disorder fueled by power struggles, the potential for harm has yet to be fully contained. A new political landscape appears to be emerging in various parts of the Middle East, as declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...
Navigating the Uncertainties of the Post-Assad Era
Michel Touma 2024-12-16 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Israel Middle East Benjamin Netanyahu Syria Bashar al-Assad
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had anticipated it well before Bashar al-Assad's downfall, pointing to the emergence of a new Middle East. Likewise, President-elect Donald Trump had set the tone during his campaign, emphasizing his commitment to forging peace in a region beset by over seven decades of armed conflict and largely ...
Lebanon and Syria: Seizing a Historic Moment
Michel Touma 2024-12-09 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A chapter of bloodshed and tyranny in Lebanon’s modern history has drawn to a close — a chapter defined by half a century of occupation and killing tyranny. However, today heralds a beacon of hope: an opportunity to seize this historic juncture and flip another equally somber page — the nearly century-long narrative of tumultuous and ...
The Assad Reign in Lebanon: Discord and Destabilization
Michel Touma 2024-12-08 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Kamal Joumblatt Middle East Syria Assad Lebanon
Four years ago, Lebanon celebrated the centennial of Greater Lebanon’s creation. It is important to acknowledge that almost half of these one hundred years were marked by the unfortunate conflicts with the Assad regime, from the early 1970s to the dramatic downfall of Bashar al-Assad and his regime on December 8, a historic day. Lebanon’s ...
Denial and an 'Ultra-Divine Victory'
Michel Touma 2024-12-02 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hamas Hezbollah Israel UN Security Council USA
In psychology, denial is a well-known defense mechanism used to cope with failures and setbacks. It is therefore not surprising that Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, confidently asserts — along with his party’s leadership and supporters — that the two-month-long conflict with Israel brought about a victory “greater” ...
Editorial-Comprehensive and Strengthened Ceasefire Under Resolution 1701
Michel Touma 2024-11-27 14:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Amal Ceasefire Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army UN Security Council United Nations United States USA
A keen observer, closely following the Middle Eastern conflict, once noted during the Lebanese war that Arab regimes were always “a truce behind.” In other words, at every critical turn in the regional crisis, they often accepted conditions or succumbed to situations they had rejected just a few years earlier. This unfortunate reality applies ...
Pragmatism Is Not a Sign of Weakness
Michel Touma 2024-11-25 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Fatah Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Forces Palestine Tehran
In late August 1982, Beirut bore witness to the aftermath of the Israeli Army's "Operation Peace for Galilee," initiated on June 6, 1982. Following the prolonged siege of the Lebanese capital, approximately 12,000 Palestinian fighters, including Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), alongside senior officials ...
The Overlooked Aspect of Lebanon's 1943 Independence
Michel Touma 2024-11-22 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Independance National Pact
For many years, the Lebanese have marked the anniversary of November 22 with a sense of disillusionment, reflecting on the advanced state of decline of Lebanon’s independence, proclaimed in 1943. This feeling of bitterness has been exacerbated by a series of regional interventions, which have fostered a chronic climate of instability and discord ...
Enforcing Resolution 1701: Ending the Deception Game
Michel Touma 2024-11-18 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Hezbollah South Lebanon United Nations 1701
During one of the early phases of the Lebanese war, Bachir Gemayel made a quip to journalists that, while tinged with sarcasm, offered a fundamentally sharp insight into an aspect of public life in the country. “Lebanon (before the war) was not so much a land of coexistence, but rather one of mutual deceit among its people,” he stated, with a ...
Trump’s Comeback and Fate of the Middle East
Michel Touma 2024-11-11 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Donald Trump Middle East Tehran United States
Donald Trump's return to the White House, bolstered by a sweeping Republican victory in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, has sparked significant concern among some Western circles. These observers are uneasy about what they see as the newly elected president's overly “conservative” positions, particularly in terms of social ...
US Presidential Election: A Race Like No Other
Michel Touma 2024-11-07 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Middle East Benjamin Netanyahu Republican
On the eve of the US presidential election, Walid Phares, former foreign affairs advisor to President Donald Trump, shared that a key aspect of the Republican candidate’s campaign strategy rested, beyond the strength of his electoral machine, on the spontaneous mobilization of a “popular wave” — an organic movement not necessarily guided ...
The Failure of a Project, Not of a Community
Michel Touma 2024-11-04 10:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Accountability is seldom found in Lebanese political life, and this is largely understandable. The societal dynamics that shape Lebanon’s social fabric—specifically the entrenched communal, regional, familial, tribal, feudal and partisan loyalties—have consistently influenced the daily lives of its people. Consequently, it is extremely ...
War in the Middle East: Tackling the Root Cause
Michel Touma 2024-10-28 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Middle East UN Security Council Iran
After more than three weeks of negotiations and intense discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv, Israel launched its response to the October 1 missile attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This response took place overnight Friday to Saturday, underscoring the Biden administration’s apparent reluctance to destabilize the Iranian ...
Middle East Conflict: Lebanon Seeks Relief
Michel Touma 2024-10-21 11:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Few analysts and observers might recall that, during the peak of the Middle East conflict, the Arab League reached an agreement designating Lebanon as a country of support, distinct from the frontline states meant to confront Israel—namely Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Yet, as an Israeli leader once aptly noted, commitments made in this region often ...