Editorial — The Unspoken War
Michel Touma 20/04 13:36 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The prevailing impression from the unfolding “vicissitudes” in Isfahan at the break of dawn on Friday was that Israelis and Iranians were almost ashamed of engaging in direct, face-to-face warfare… In their quest for moral justification, they deploy startling theatrics or unusual military-media acrobatics. Their objective: to minimize ...
Editorial—Saturday Night’s Attack: What's at Stake for the Pasdaran?
Michel Touma 17/04 11:29 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It started with a small-scale war of attrition through its proxies and ended with a direct confrontation... The massive attack, using drones and missiles, launched Saturday night by the Pasdaran from Iranian territory against Israel has unmistakably plunged the Middle East into a new phase. It is still too early to gauge the full ...
Jordan, a Component of the Win-Win Scenario
Michel Touma 14/04 18:51 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Listen to the article [audio mp3="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/We-are-currently-witnessing-a-new-kind-of-warfare-in-the-Middle-East.-Alongside-meticulously.mp3"][/audio] We are currently witnessing a new kind of warfare in the Middle East. Alongside meticulously targeted aerial strikes, broader belligerent intentions ...
Editorial – April 13, 1975: A Tipping Point
Michel Touma 13/04 14:34 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
April 13, 1975, will be forever ingrained in the collective memory of the Lebanese people (at least those of a ‘certain age,’) as the outbreak of the never-ending Lebanese war. However, this perception is somewhat biased, as April 13 was more accurately a tipping point (rather than the onset) of a profound and chronic existential crisis. ...
Editorial – The Need for a Second Cedar Revolution
Michel Touma 10/04 11:47 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Sketchy scenarios… The endless series of political assassinations that have been plaguing and destabilizing the country for many years are often coupled by far-fetched narratives, stemming from a woefully barren imagination. These narratives usually serve to divert attention for some unavowable purpose, or to conceal the true masterminds of the ...
Fouad El-Saad’s Journey: A Strong Commitment to Fundamental Principles
Michel Touma 08/04 08:54 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
His name has frequently been linked to the iconic oak tree of Ain Treiz, located in the Aley district. Fouad el-Saad, a former MP and minister who passed away on March 27 after a long illness, embodied throughout his political journey a particular facet of Lebanon — one defined by a commitment to the fundamental principles that have long shaped ...
Editorial – Israel-Iran: The Strategy of Patience
Michel Touma 03/04 13:57 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
One episode follows another... In recent days, speculation has been rampant within various media and political circles regarding the tensions, and even significant divergences, that have surfaced between the United States and Israel regarding the management and long-term geopolitical implications of the Gaza conflict. These speculations stemmed ...
Editorial – Killing the Golden Goose
Michel Touma 27/03 12:17 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In the midst of a persistent chronic and existential crisis, some political factions occasionally resort to subtly propagating truncated or even baseless information. Their aim? Either test public reactions on specific topics or artificially sustain the attention of a partisan public by crafting tailored "information" capable of sparking debate ...
Editorial - Makram Rabah: Upholding Freedom of Expression
Michel Touma 25/03 16:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
During the disastrous days of Syrian occupation, a French journalist in Beirut rightly noted that the Assad regime couldn't bring the Lebanese press to kneel or shake its unwavering commitment to freedom of expression. After the deployment of Syrian forces in June 1976 and following the election of late Elias Sarkis as president, the ...
Editorial – Israel’s Right and Hamas: 'Endangered by Peace'
Michel Touma 20/03 13:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Since antiquity, a myth has existed in physics, entirely chimerical and unattainable, known as "perpetual motion," which would entail motion lasting indefinitely without external input. If we transpose this purely theoretical notion to our present-day reality, it becomes evident that certain political players influencing the geopolitics of the ...
Editorial – March 14 Anniversary: A Catalyst for Sovereigntist Momentum
Michel Touma 13/03 12:02 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A pivotal moment in history... Such is the characterization one could give to the monumental gathering that took place at Martyrs' Square and its surrounding streets in downtown Beirut on March 14, 2005. This date will forever be etched in Lebanon's annals, as several hundred thousand individuals (over a million, as per various sources) converged ...
Editorial – The 1701 Resolution Through the Lens of the Pasdaran
Michel Touma 06/03 12:31 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The brief visit to Beirut earlier this week by US envoy Amos Hochstein did not yield the anticipated announcement of tangible decisions aimed at Hezbollah's withdrawal towards the Litani River, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Efforts to negotiate the withdrawal of the pro-Iranian militia have been ongoing for several weeks, ...
Editorial- When Pluralism Can Potentially Become a Source of Wealth
Michel Touma 21/02 08:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Nothing is solely black or white in any political dynamic, especially when dealing with the cynical and unpredictable "game of nations" that can often defy understanding, especially if the intelligence services of antagonistic parties get involved! For sometimes, the "raison d'Etat" has motives that reason itself cannot comprehend... This is ...
Editorial - February 14, 2005: The Lebanese Tidal Wave
Michel Touma 14/02 17:29 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The younger generations of Lebanese are likely unaware, or at best have partial knowledge of the historic significance of the tragic events of February 14, 2005, the day of the assassination of former Prime Minister and leader of the Future Movement, Rafic Hariri. The terrible event brought to light a dual (and slow) transformation in the ...
Editorial – Gaza: The Day After
Michel Touma 31/01 11:31 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A (highly) cautious optimism marked the recent days of talks in Paris initiated at the end of last week by senior American, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. The sought-after objective is to achieve a ceasefire of at least one month, possibly two, in the Gaza conflict, with a particular focus on securing the release of hostages held by ...
Editorial- Is the US Base Attack a Turning Point?
Michel Touma 29/01 12:53 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Undoubtedly, this marks a crucial juncture in the escalating events across various “fronts” in the Middle East following the Gaza War. Following the deadly attack on October 7, tension hotspots have been progressively unfolding, one after another, across different locations on the regional chessboard, each time with a heightened level of ...
Editorial – Tel Aviv-Tehran: A Waltz With the Irrational
Michel Touma 24/01 11:51 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The "cockfight" between irrationality and pragmatism on the regional political-diplomatic stage, and consequently, on the local scene, is in full swing. Regrettably, for decades, it has been the Lebanese, Palestinian and even Israeli populations who have borne the brunt of this ongoing struggle. This race against time between political maneuvers ...
Editorial- Closely Following in Mélenchon’s Footsteps
Michel Touma 22/01 12:51 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It was a somewhat mysterious and very discreet visit that Jean-Luc Mélenchon paid to Beirut last week. The leader and founder of the French opposition movement 'La France insoumise' (LFI) was tight-lipped during his brief stay in Lebanon. However, the echo of his recent positions regarding Hamas, following the deadly attack on October 7th, had ...
Editorial – Southern Lebanon: Macron's Brief Reference to Resolution 1701
Michel Touma 19/01 13:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
During his initial press briefing for the year 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron subtly addressed Lebanon, making a remark that went largely unnoticed. He urged a strict adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, underscoring the importance of compliance “on both sides.” Since the adoption of Resolution 1701, which ended the armed ...
Editorial – Carefully-Controlled Regional Escalation
Michel Touma 17/01 19:08 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
An escalation that is steadily gaining momentum, yet, at least for the time being, is still under control ... This impression stems from the ballistic missile attack launched on Monday by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against Erbil, the capital of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. The aggression, the first of its kind since the ...
Editorial - Strikes in Yemen: Beyond a Mere Warning
Michel Touma 12/01 09:22 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It had become inevitable... The airstrikes and attacks launched on Thursday night by the United States and the United Kingdom against more than a dozen military installations and positions held by pro-Iranian Houthis in various Yemeni cities, including the capital Sanaa and the port of Hodeida, were foreseeable. The recent surge in drone and ...
Editorial – A New Beginning for 1701? But at What Expense?
Michel Touma 10/01 14:38 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
A meticulously negotiated political resolution, under the guidance of the United States, to revert to the strict implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701; or a steadily mounting military escalation amplifying the risk of a large-scale conflagration, potentially surpassing the severity witnessed in 2006? For several weeks, the Lebanese ...
Editorial – The Southern Suburb Attack: Conveying a Multifaceted Message
Michel Touma 03/01 10:59 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening in the southern suburb of Beirut, which killed Saleh al-Arouri, vice president of the political bureau and "number two" of Hamas, raises questions about a potential escalation in military tensions. This Israeli drone attack in the southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, is particularly noteworthy as it ...
The Editorial - 2023-2024: A Destabilizing Legacy
Michel Touma 02/01 11:06 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Undoubtedly, the Lebanese bid farewell to the past year without a hint of regrets. As they usher in 2024, there is a glimmer of hope, but more importantly, a bundle of apprehensions. The conclusion of 2023 was marked by daily clashes along the Israeli border, further entrenching the prevailing chaos characterized by a stalled presidential ...
Editorial - ME Crisis: Hamas, Likud, Foes With Same Objectives
Michel Touma 2023-12-27 16:13 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Unexpectedly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a strange jolt a few days ago. The leader of the Likud party found it necessary to publicly reassert his opposition to the Oslo Accords and spirit. The accords, the result of a bold and historic decision in 1993 by the Palestine Liberation Organization (under Yasser Arafat) and the ...
Editorial - South Lebanon: 'War and Peace'
Michel Touma 2023-12-20 17:22 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
A necessary, indeed indispensable, but not sufficient condition ... This is how one could characterize the retention of General Joseph Aoun in his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. In the context of stabilizing southern Lebanon and strictly adhering to Resolution 1701, the decision was crucial, as the army needs to be led by a commander ...
J. Aoun's Mandate: A Skillful Political Maneuver
Michel Touma 2023-12-16 12:32 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The tug-of-war lasted until the very end. Driven by the sovereignist faction's MPs — widely branded as the "opposition" — the Lebanese witnessed a cleverly orchestrated political drama. This culminated on Friday in a crucial parliamentary vote in favor of a proposed law deferring the retirement of active generals and division generals by one ...
Editorial – Hamas’ Announcement: Double Standards
Michel Touma 2023-12-06 14:01 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A serious misstep... Both in presentation and principle. On Tuesday, while using convoluted language, the spokesperson for the Hamas movement in Lebanon felt it necessary (upon whose advice?) to elaborate on the previous day's announcement regarding the establishment of "Al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards." Thus, the Palestinian fundamentalist figure ...
Editorial- Divergent Visions
Michel Touma 2023-12-05 11:07 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A lecture on the most recent work of the late Imam Mohammed Mehdi Chamseddine, Le Testament (The Testament), was organized a few days ago by the Arab Cultural Club as part of the 65th session of the Arab and International Book Fair in Beirut. Expressing his thoughts in the form of "political, social, cultural, and scientific recommendations," ...
Editorial: Urgency of a Strict Application of Resolution 1701
Michel Touma 2023-12-02 15:07 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982 compelled the Lebanese and Israeli governments to formally sign the May 17 Agreement (1983) following extensive and difficult negotiations. This was an official document that definitively ended the state of hostility between the two countries, thereby laying the foundation for the withdrawal of the ...