Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 5 May 2018
Hezbollah set to tighten grip in Lebanon vote

By ZEINA KARAM acceptance of the par-
BEIRUT (AP) — Few coun- ty's domestic hegemony,"
tries are as vulnerable to wrote analyst Joseph Ba-
the Middle East's mayhem hout in an article for the
as Lebanon, which has Carnegie Middle East Cen-
taken in a million refugees ter.
from the catastrophic war A new election law agreed
in neighboring Syria, seen on last year has opened
the Iran-backed Lebanese cracks through which ri-
Hezbollah militia embroiled vals within the Shiite com-
in that war and watched munity could potentially
Saudi Arabia try to oust its challenge Hezbollah, and
prime minister. political newcomers and
Yet campaigning for Sun- independents could try to
day's parliamentary elec- break through the monop-
tion, the first in nine years, oly long enjoyed by the po-
has timidly sidestepped the litical dynasties.
big issues, leaving many It also promises to shake
Lebanese expecting more things up by reorganizing
of the same. It's especially Lebanon's electoral map,
galling for Lebanese con- consolidating 23 districts
cerned a still-dominant into 15, and awarding seats
Hezbollah could drag the by share of the vote re-
country into a looming Iran- In this Friday, April 13, 2018 file photo, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivers a ceived, rather than winner-
Israel regional confronta- broadcast speech through a giant screen during an election campaign in a southern suburb of takes-all. The law also al-
tion. Beirut, Lebanon. lows Lebanese expatriates
The vote is expected to Associated Press to vote abroad for the first
be a test for the country's time, adding a new level of
Western-backed Sunni Shiite conflict but rather a militant group. 25 years and who is virtu- unpredictability to the mix.
prime minister, Saad Hariri, conflict between a group Most of the campaigning ally uncontested. Some The last time elections
and his Iran-backed Shiite that believes in a state and by more than 500 candi- warlords are passing on were held in Lebanon was
militant opponent, Hez- a nation, and another that dates has revolved around their seats to their sons, in- in 2009. Since then, mem-
bollah, which is looking to has regional and Iranian platforms of stability and cluding Druze leader Walid bers of parliament have
tighten its grip and expand leanings." economic growth, with Jumblatt. extended their terms twice,
its presence in the 128- The sides, however, can many of Lebanon's civil "Divisive issues such as Hez- citing security threats linked
seat parliament — likely at hardly govern effectively war-era political titans set bollah's weapons and the to the war in neighboring
Hariri's expense. without each other and to return, including Leba- controversy over its partici- Syria.
Interior Minister Nouhad are expected to recreate non's aging Shiite parlia- pation in regional conflicts Hariri now has the largest
Mashnouk, a member of the unity government that ment speaker, Nabih Berri, are almost entirely absent block in parliament, but is
Hariri's inner circle, said the currently exists, which in- a Hezbollah ally who has from the electoral cam- likely to lose seats to rival
election is not "a Sunni- corporates members of the held the post for more than paigns, indicating implicit politicians. q

Palestinian president apologizes

over anti-Semitic remarks

not authorized to talk to the ic stereotypes and falsifying In his doctoral thesis in the
media. history. 1970s, Abbas questioned
Abbas, in remarks that were The official Palestinian news the extent of the Nazi geno-
part of a lengthy speech agency quoted Abbas cide of Jews during WWII,
to the Palestine Liberation as saying on Friday that "if drawing accusations that
Organization parliament people were offended by he was a Holocaust denier.
on Monday, said it was my statement ... especially He has since distanced
the Jews' "social function," people of the Jewish faith, himself from the claims.
including money lending, I apologize to them." He Israel's Defense Minister
In this April 30, 2018 file photo, Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas speaks during a meeting of the Palestinian National which caused animosity condemned anti-Semitism later lashed out at Abbas
Council at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. toward them in Europe. He "in all its forms" and said he on Twitter, rejecting his
Associated Press also described the creation remains committed "to the apology. "Abu Mazen is a
of Israel as a European co- two-state solution, and to wretched Holocaust denier
By IAN DEITCH torical connections to the lonial project, saying "his- live side by side in peace who wrote his doctorate
JERUSALEM (AP) — Pales- Holy Land. tory tells us there is no basis and security." on Holocaust denial and
tinian President Mahmoud Palestinian officials said for the Jewish homeland." Abbas also said "I would later also published a book
Abbas issued an apology Abbas was under "tremen- The Palestinian president's also like to reiterate our about Holocaust denial,"
Friday following uproar dous" pressure from numer- remarks were sharply con- long held condemnation of Avigdor Lieberman tweet-
over a speech he made ous diplomats and foreign demned by the United Na- the Holocaust, as the most ed, referring to Abbas by
this week that was con- ministers to apologize. The tions, European Union, Unit- heinous crime in history, his nickname.
demned as anti-Semitic officials spoke on condition ed States, Israel and others and express our sympathy "His apology is not accept-
and dismissive of Jewish his- of anonymity as they are as perpetuating anti-Semit- with its victims." ed," he added.q