Netanyahu’s “Greater Israel” vision sparks regional outrage as Israel and U.S. pushes expansion, starvation and disarmament plans
August 15th, 20250 “Greater Israel” — from theory to implementation The “Greater Israel” project — stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates — is no longer a mere fantasy or “conspiracy theory.” It has become a tangible direction on the ground, evident both in statements by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,...
Fanning the flames: How the U.S. and Lebanon’s leaders are pushing the country toward civil war
August 15th, 20250 Lebanon’s leaders have just lit a fuse they may not be able to put out. In a move backed and pushed by Washington, the Lebanese government has approved a U.S.-designed plan to disarm Hezbollah by year’s end. The army has been ordered to draft the blueprint, dismantle resistance positions across the country and coordinate with U.N....
Lebanon united mourns Ziad Rahbani: Legendary musician and playwright dies at 69 after struggle with illness
August 1st, 20250 On the morning of Sad Saturday, July 26, sorrow descended over Lebanon and the Arab world following the announcement of the death of the brilliant playwright and musician Ziad Rahbani at the age of 69, after a struggle with illness. His passing triggered national mourning in Lebanon and echoed across the Arab world and beyond. According...
Georges Abdallah receives hero’s welcome in Beirut after four decades in French prison, reaffirms commitment to resistance
August 1st, 20250 BEIRUT – French authorities released Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the Lebanese leftist pro-Palestinian and Europe’s longest-held political prisoner, last Friday, after 41 years in detention. Abdallah, who was arrested in the early 1980s on charges of conspiring to assassinate an American and an Israeli diplomat, arrived at Beirut’s...
U.S. envoy praises Lebanon’s proposal to disarm Hezbollah as group leader rejects disarmament before Israeli withdrawal
July 11th, 20250 On Monday, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said he was satisfied with the Lebanese government’s response to a proposal to disarm the Hezbollah group, adding that Washington is ready to help the small crisis-hit nation emerge from its long-running political and economic crisis. The U.S. envoy to Lebanon, Tom Barrack, spoke to journalists...
Syrian refugees return from Lebanon to start under U.N.-backed plan, marking major shift
July 11th, 20250 BEIRUT - Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, U.N.-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns. Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family...
Uranium enrichment stalls U.S.-Iran talks, Israel continues genocidal war on Gaza and escalates attacks on Lebanon and Syria
June 6th, 20250 The past week brought no breakthroughs in the multiple flashpoints across the Middle East. Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza raged on, alongside escalated military aggression on Lebanon and Syria. Meanwhile, negotiations between the United States and Iran made no meaningful progress, as Tehran insisted on its...
Global pressure mounts on Israel amid Gaza carnage and regional shifts
May 23rd, 20250 Amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, and the harrowing images of starvation and genocide emerging from the devastated territory, international voices intensified last week, calling for urgent restraint against Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. European leaders hinted at punitive measures ranging from economic boycotts to...
Major General Hassan Ezzat Choucair reaffirms Lebanon’s stability despite regional unrest, urges diaspora to visit homeland
April 25th, 20250 “Lebanon is secure, resilient and open to its people”: Major General Hassan Ezzat Choucair emphasizes stability and reform in visit to MichiganThe director general of Lebanese General Security calls on the diaspora to return this summer, highlights cross-border security cooperation, modernization efforts and the evolving role of...
Lebanese general security chief visits Metro Detroit: Honored with warm reception and community tribute
April 25th, 20250 DEARBORN – The visit of Major General Hassan Ezzat Choucair, director general of Lebanese General Security, to the Detroit area last week was met with great enthusiasm. The trip, which spanned more than five days, included official meetings and community events that reflected the Lebanese American community’s deep appreciation for...
War widens: Israeli aggression spreads across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria
April 4th, 20250 The Weekly Arab Report by The Arab American News staff From the expansion of aggression on Gaza, to blatant violations of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, to the breach of Syrian territory by land and air, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued last week to stoke the flames of war in the Middle East. This comes as a...
A region in crisis from Gaza to Istanbul: War, resistance and power struggles
March 28th, 20250 The Arab American News weekly Arab world report: The Middle East remains in the eye of the storm, with many of its nations burdened by decades-old political, security, economic and social crises. These issues continue to erupt in connection with regional conflicts. Against this backdrop, Iran’s announcement of its willingness to...
Trump-backed escalation: Gaza massacre resumes, U.S. bombs Yemen, Israeli strikes hit Lebanon and Syria amid regional turmoil
March 21st, 20250 With a green light from President Trump and no deterrent in sight — except for Yemen’s steadfast support front — Israel’s killing machine has resumed its genocide in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, as desired by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is desperately trying to preserve his shaky ruling coalition committed to pursuing...
Trump nominates Lebanese American Michel Issa to be the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon
March 15th, 20251 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michel Issa, a prominent Lebanese American businessman and financial investor, was nominated by President Trump on Friday, March 7, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, replacing Lisa A. Johnson, who has held the position since early 2023. Johnson, a seasoned career diplomat with the rank of...
U.S. court orders deportation of Lebanese businessman accused of funding Hezbollah
March 14th, 20250 The U.S. federal court has ordered the deportation of Lebanese businessman Mohammed Ibrahim Bazzi following his conviction for conspiring with Talal Chahine, founder of the La Shish restaurant chain, to illegally transfer millions of dollars. Bazzi, 60, was sentenced to time served — approximately two years since his arrest in Romania......
Israeli aggression escalates in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon amid regional tensions
March 7th, 20250 Israeli aggression continues to escalate in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, following a clear strategy that Israeli leadership has openly admitted aims to redraw the regional map of the Middle East. This aggressive policy is bolstered by strong U.S. support, further reinforced by President Trump’s threats against the residents of Gaza,...
Hezbollah stages show of strength at Nasrallah’s funeral, Palestinians strike in Haifa against Israeli aggression in West Bank
February 28th, 20250 Israel openly declares its continued occupation of south Lebanon and Syria with "American blessing" As Israel admitted to a "total failure" in preventing Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israeli settlements, and as its more than 14-month-long war on Gaza and South Lebanon has failed to achieve its objectives — rather......
Gaza preparing for second phase of ceasefire, Lebanon awaiting historic funeral for Nasrallah
February 21st, 20250 As the first phase of the “Gaza Agreement” continues to be implemented, Thursday witnessed Hamas handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages. Meanwhile, Israel’s delays in initiating talks for the second phase appear to have ended. Several Arab countries are preparing to counter President Trump’s reconstruction plan, which...
Mediators succeed in preventing Gaza truce from collapsing, Trump pushes “transfer” plan and threatens Jordan and Egypt
February 14th, 20250 Washington Awaits Arab countries' plan for Gaza President Trump has openly escalated pressure on Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians he intends to expel from Gaza, as part of his vision to transform the war-ravaged strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East." His aggressive stance was evident during his meeting with King Abdullah II...
The massive return of Palestinians to Northern Gaza and of Lebanese Southerners: A blow to Israel and proof of its military failure
January 31st, 20252 The sight of hundreds of thousands of Gazans returning to the northern areas of the Strip, coupled with the return of southern Lebanese residents to their villages on Sunday, served as a double blow to the Israeli occupation. It was also a practical declaration of the failure of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, which the...
Who is Nawaf Salam, the new prime minister designate of Lebanon?
January 17th, 20250 Born on December 15, 1953, in Beirut, Nawaf Salam hails from a prominent political family. His father, Abdullah Salam, was one of the founders of Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, and represented the family on its board of directors between 1956 and 1983. Salam is married to Sahar Baassiri, a journalist and Lebanon’s......
Cautious optimism among Arab and Muslim Americans in Detroit over the Gaza ceasefire agreement
January 17th, 20251 After 647 days of relentless violence and genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday was seen as a moment of hope, marking the potential end of a devastating nightmare. This long-overdue agreement represents more than just a pause in conflict; it is a...
Lebanon: A race on two fronts
January 17th, 20250 In Lebanon, citizens welcomed the election of a president after more than two years of vacancy. However, a political crisis emerged when the "Shi'a duo" — the Amal Movement and Hezbollah — felt an agreement had been breached regarding their support for President Joseph Aoun. The duo was taken aback when 88 parliamentarians designated......
Who is Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese army commander elected the 14th president of Lebanon?
January 10th, 20250 General Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese army commander who was elected president on Thursday, kept his military on the sidelines of a recent war between Israel and the Hezbollah resistance group, ordering it to prioritize civil peace even as troops were killed. Aoun, a 60-year-old career soldier, became the fifth Lebanese army commander to...
Lebanon’s parliament elects army chief Joseph Aoun as president, ending a two-year vacancy
January 10th, 20250 On Thursday, Lebanon’s parliament voted to elect army chief commander Joseph Aoun as the 14th president of the country, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum. The vote came weeks after a tenuous ceasefire agreement halted a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group and at a time when......
