Javelin anti-tank missiles, launchers, spare parts, and more: a small Middle Eastern country, led by a dictator who oppresses his people, will pay just over $100 million for American weapons, courtesy of Washington's foreign service.

As required by law, the US State Department sent a notification to Congress last week detailing the recently approved weapons deal with Tunisia, allowing Congress members to review it. The notice claimed the sale would improve Tunisia's defense capabilities and advance US interests in the region. The deal would not upset the Middle East's balance of power, the document stated, nor would it diminish America's wartime emergency reserves. It would add money to American coffers and create more jobs for Americans. Everyone, apparently, wins.

Tunisia – designated by the US a decade ago as a "major non-NATO ally" – is ruled through a system of oppression, silencing, and imprisonment, but this doesn't seem to trouble State Department officials as an obstacle to a possible agreement. How is it that officials who scrutinize every Israeli action in Gaza with seven pairs of eyes are not bothered by such a situation?

Tunisia's president is Kais Saied, 66, a constitutional law expert. He has ruled the country since 2019. Initially, things proceeded smoothly. The COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions sparked protests in 2021 over the government's poor performance, which prompted Saied to fire the prime minister, temporarily dissolve parliament – and take almost every possible authority for himself. Since then, the president has restricted freedom of expression, eliminated judicial oversight of himself and his appointed judges, and imprisoned his opponents and electoral rivals. He now rules the country unopposed.

Tunisia's last presidential election was held two months ago. Saied didn't even bother to present a platform but won easily with 90% of the votes, partly because he had imprisoned all his rivals. The leading candidate against him is currently serving three separate prison sentences, including one for 12 years. Eight other potential candidates were imprisoned or placed under house arrest. Others were disqualified from running. In the end, only two candidates were allowed to participate in the actual election.

Less than 30% of Tunisia's eligible voters went to the polls. This minority is much larger than the voter turnout in parliamentary elections less than two years ago, which didn't even reach 10%. This grim reality reflects a bitter change that has occurred in the country within just a decade, a descent into dark oppression after great hope.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring protests in the Middle East. Young vendor Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in protest of authorities' harassment and his dire economic situation sparked thousands to take to the streets. The massive demonstrations ended with the ouster of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled for about 24 years. He fled to Saudi Arabia, opening the way for a period of flourishing, prosperity, and democracy in Tunisia.

In fact, Tunisia was perhaps the only country to emerge from the Arab Spring mass protests on what at least then appeared to be a path toward establishing genuine democracy. Egypt, Syria, Libya, and Yemen experienced revolutions, but their subsequent paths were very different.

But the reversal of trends in Tunisia over the past three years is even stranger, because at least officially – if one ignores opposition protests and low voter turnout – it was approved by referendum. Many residents believed the president's steps to restrict individual rights and political freedoms were necessary, given the country's difficult economic situation and political mood.

Despite concerned statements from the US and European Union, despite the persecution of candidates and the huge election gap – the White House hasn't really condemned Tunisia's government. The Biden administration's treatment of Saied is not similar, for example, to the US government's treatment of elections in Venezuela (which it declared "fraudulent") or to President Joe Biden's public criticism of election results in Georgia.

Moreover, the situation in Tunisia isn't stopping Americans from continuing to sell weapons and armaments to the local military there. So why does the State Department, which uses a special unit to monitor the use of American weapons by the IDF to determine if it is committing war crimes and thus restrict their sale to it, suddenly not express concern about selling weapons to an African dictator who has crushed the hopes of millions? How is Tunisia's case different?

Anger over vaccines

The US has maintained close ties with Tunisia for decades, since its independence in 1956 – long before the Arab Spring revolution. Due to its location in North Africa, it is considered a vital ally of both EU countries and the US. In 2012, it signed agreements to strengthen political and economic ties with countries north of it, and three years later, it gained status as a major non-NATO ally of the US.

Many Tunisians have always viewed America as the model superpower, and the EU was the main trading partner of the former French colony. The local military purchases weapons from European and US manufacturers and conducts joint exercises with their armed forces.

However, since Saied's rise to power, Tunisia's relations with the US are approaching a crossroads: Will Tunisia remain an ally of Western nations, or will it drift toward the opposing axis led by Russia, China, and Iran? And what will be decisive – security and economic interests or the state of human rights in Tunisia?

There are multiple reasons why Tunisia itself is distancing itself from the US. One is its traditional stance against what are considered "Western" values and against Israel in particular. Tunisia consistently adopts anti-Israeli or anti-Western positions. Tensions with the US intensified in the 1980s due to Israeli attacks on PLO camps in Tunisia and later due to American intervention in the First Gulf War. The Americans also complained that Tunisia showed too much leniency toward suspects in an attack on the US embassy in the country two decades later, in 2012.

President Saied, even before Operation Iron Swords began, refused to join the Abraham Accords and establish relations with Israel, despite the existence of a Jewish community in the country for hundreds of years. Since the war began, tension has developed between Tunisia and the US over American support for Israel and over the administration's refusal to use all tools at its disposal to pressure the IDF to end the war. Some analysts have argued that the damage caused by the situation may be irreparable.

There are other reasons for Tunisian disappointment with the Americans: Many there felt dismissal from the US, as if the country was good enough for fighting terrorism but doesn't receive good treatment in other areas. During the COVID crisis, the outbreak in Tunisia was among the worst in the world, and delays in vaccine shipments from the US frustrated many in the country – especially when shipments of inferior Chinese vaccines arrived in many Arab countries whose relations with the Americans were cold enough for the Chinese taste.

Tunisian relations with Europe have largely focused on immigration issues in recent years. The expectation on the neighboring continent was that Tunisia – as a transit country from sub-Saharan regions to Europe – would make efforts to stop migrants on their way to the continent. In return, Europeans offered very little cooperation, including a $1 billion program in loans and grants. This may seem an enormous sum, but when compared to the $20 billion Europeans offered Tunisia in 2011, it's not large. Considering the massive effort required from Tunisia to stop the masses of migrants, the amount is considered insufficient.

The Tunisian approach to the West is partly related to the power struggle between world superpowers. China and Russia are trying to accumulate assets worldwide and gain political and economic footholds at the expense of the US and Europe. In this context, countries like Tunisia, sitting at geographical and economic crossroads, are valuable prizes. However, such countries understand that competition for their allegiance allows them to weigh the advantages of connecting with each side. In this case, Tunisia is weighing the benefits of its longstanding alliance with Europe and the US against the tempting possibilities inherent in deepening ties with China and Russia.

The Europeans have developed dependence on the Tunisians – both in trade between the country and the continent, though not a huge portion of their trade, and in fighting illegal immigration to their shores. This means Tunisians have leverage over Europeans, especially regarding immigration. The US also needs Tunisians to fight jihadist terrorism due to the country's influential geographical location in the Mediterranean region. This means Americans and Europeans must maneuver to maintain relations with Saied, even if they consider his actions problematic.

Moreover, the disadvantages of Tunisian defection to the Russian axis are even more severe. Tunisia would give Moscow an important foothold in the Mediterranean at a time when its main stronghold in Syria is becoming unstable. The Kremlin wants to establish military bases in strategic locations along African and Mediterranean coasts, trying to increase its influence and military prestige – and the Tunisians are using this desire as a tool to increase their bargaining power with the Russians.

Meanwhile, as part of zigzagging between both sides, Tunisia announced abandoning negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a large rescue package it desperately needs, and instead announced its intention to join BRICS, led by China, Iran, and Russia. This is an economic organization competing with the West, whose members include Brazil, Egypt, India, and South Africa. In President Saied's view, the loan guarantee conditions from the International Monetary Fund seemed like "foreign dictation" and an attempt at takeover, so he refused to accept them.

The courtship of BRICS may just be an effort to diversify Tunisia's economic support rather than an attempt to disconnect from its alliances with Western nations. The Tunisians have an interest in expanding relations with both sides, aiming to maintain flexibility in the long term.

Realpolitik

The US understands the trap it's in regarding Tunisia and is working to convince Saied to maintain good relations with the Western bloc. Dialogue with a dictator is always problematic, as he can defect and switch sides at any moment due to a simple whim.

Therefore, the Americans are trying to promote democratization programs in Tunisia, aiming to spark identification with liberal values and solidify its connection to the Western bloc. Opening Tunisia's economy to Western channels might also distance its leadership from Russia and China, given the need to operate according to certain economic codes. Thus, the Americans are working with Europeans to create economically beneficial relations with the Tunisians, trying to continue serving as an economic model for the African nation.

Another US course of action is promoting security cooperation. Besides using soft power to enhance America's power image, Washington ensures arming the Tunisians and making them develop military dependence on it. In recent years, the US went far, and as part of the special relationship with Tunisia as a non-NATO ally, it set a payment floor for military aid to the government: about $150 million annually. The payment floor was canceled only two years ago, a move expressing the Democratic administration's displeasure with the anti-democratic reform led by President Saied.

Besides this, the Americans maintained relations with the Tunisian military for counterterrorism purposes, while cultivating personal relationships with senior military officials. In parallel, the US worked to conduct training for internal security personnel in the country, aiming to promote democratic procedures in this field in Tunisia as well.

The American deliberation regarding President Saied stemmed partly from popular support for his actions among Tunisians: How can promoting liberal values exist contrary to what the people themselves want? How can the US promote democratization in a country whose population voted to restrict its own freedom?

This dilemma recalls what happened in Egypt after the Muslim Brotherhood's victory in the 2012 elections when Mohamed Morsi rose to power. What the Americans tried to do, attempting to prevent the continuation of anti-democratic steps in Tunisia, was to support programs that would not help the president advance his dictatorship. But now, due to the trend's continuation, the Americans need to decide again what to do: Should they cut aid funds, making Tunisia more exposed to terrorism and perhaps also joining the Russian-Chinese-Iranian axis? And how will the US continue supporting Tunisia's army, which has recently become increasingly political?

Meanwhile, it seems the Americans – or at least the State Department – aren't letting concerns about democracy's deterioration in Tunisia stand in their way. Anti-tank missiles are considered defensive weapons that cannot harm the local population or be used for offensive atrocities. In any case, the Americans will certainly exercise extra caution regarding their relations with the Tunisians, but for now, they are not expected to alienate or sever them. Donald Trump's presidency won't change the trend, as individual rights in Tunisia seem more important, specifically to the Democratic Party in the US.

One can also note that this is a good example of realpolitik that sometimes characterizes Democrats in US foreign relations. Officials in Washington don't base their foreign policy only on noble values, and not infrequently, they "get their hands dirty" in relations with dictators trying to advance American interests worldwide.

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US Ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides, on Sunday, sat down for an interview with i24NEWS during which he affirmed US efforts in expanding the Abraham Accords as well as maintaining Israeli and regional security, and about the implications of Saudi-Iranian rapprochement.

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"We're all focused on the Abraham Accords and regional security," Nides told i24NEWS. "The White House is focused on this every day, the State Department, and [US Secretary of State Antony] Blinken cares deeply about it. The good news is there's not a lack of interest among White Hosue on the Abraham Accords and on the security of Israel."

Nides spoke with i24NEWS on the fifth anniversary of when the United States moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, sparking controversy among Palestinians and their supporters as it effectively cemented Washington's position of the holy city as the Jewish state's capital.

Asked if that was the right move, Nides said: "Yes. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." On the Israel-US relationship, the envoy assured that the bond remained strong.

'Saudi's rapprochement with Iran 'has no impact on a bilateral Saudi-Israeli relationship'

In an exclusive interview, @USAmbIsrael discusses Iran, judicial reform, Abraham Accords, and more

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— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 16, 2023

"[US President Joe] Biden has made it very clear – it's an unbreakable tie between the US and Israel. We are friends and colleagues, we work together on everything around security, culture, and society. This is what the relationship is all about."

That "unbreakable" bond has been in question recently over the Israeli government's proposed judicial overhaul, which Washington and particularly Biden have been vocally critical of. "Friends are friends, and you give friends advice. We can't tell Israel what to do but were hoping for them to build a consensus. And that's what Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu is trying to do with [President Isaac] Herzog, to talk about these issues. Democracy is alive and well in Israel."

Nides continued to address Israel's recent Operation "Shield and Arrow" against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza, which consisted of five days of rocket fire before ending with a ceasefire on Sunday.

"It's very important for us to step back. The US supports Israel's right to defend itself, no country should have rockets fired at it, regardless of what happens, it's not tolerable," he said. "But our view is simple: We advocate for a two-state solution. In the meantime, the US position is to help the Palestinian people, those in the West Bank and Gaza who want the same thing as most Jews and Arabs in Israel – a job, opportunity, education, and healthcare. We're trying to create coexistence for those people, nothing more, nothing less"

On a regional scope, asked whether Israel and the US were on the same page about the Iranian nuclear issue, Nides said the two states were working together to make sure Iran doesn't obtain a nuclear weapon.

"We have meetings every day on this. It's clear that the Netanyahu administration understands what the Biden administration wants, to make sure collectively Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. We would like a diplomatic solution, but in the meantime, we're working with Israel to secure the State of Israel." He also noted that he was constantly working on expanding the Abraham Accords, the 2020 US-brokered pact that saw Israel normalize relations with a handful of Arab states.

"I work every day with Bahrainis, Moroccans, Emiratis, Egyptians, and Jordanians about the improvement of relationships with Israel. We'd like to see normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, we think it's hugely important, and we're working with Israel to obtain that."

On whether Chinese involvement in the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement would negatively influence the region or Israel, the ambassador was certain of "no impact." "The relationship between the Saudis and Iranians was about the Yemen war. We're happy when things are calm. If the Saudis can have a cold peace with Iran, and calm the Yemeni situation down, that's great."

"The Chinese relationship, that's another discussion for another time, but this has no impact on the ability of the Saudis to have a bilateral relationship with Israel." The interview also came shortly after Nides announced that he would leave his Jerusalem post this summer. "This job is fantastic. What an honor to be the US ambassador to our most important ally," he recalled.

"One thing I'm most proud of is there is not one group of people I haven't talked to – ultra-Orthodox, secular, gay, straight. Jews, Arabs, Palestinians – we must be ambassadors to everyone. I think I've been successful in that, to make sure the unbreakable bond between both countries was stronger on my watch."

Part of this article was first published by i24NEWS.

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The United States has no plans to "normalize or upgrade" diplomatic relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad nor does it encourage others to do so, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.

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The comments came in response to Reuters questions on whether Washington was encouraging and supporting a rapprochement between Jordan and Syria after Jordan fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria on Wednesday.

The move was to boost the countries' struggling economies and reinforce a push by Arab states to reintegrate Syria after shunning it during its civil war.

"The United States will not normalize or upgrade our diplomatic relations with the Assad regime nor do we encourage others to do so, given the atrocities inflicted by the Assad regime on the Syrian people," a State Department spokesperson said in an email. "Assad has regained no legitimacy in our eyes, and there is no question of the US normalizing relations with his government at this time."

It was among the strongest comments to date on Syria from US President Joe Biden's administration, whose Syria policy has largely focused on ensuring the permanent defeat of the Islamic State group and providing humanitarian aid to Syrian people.

The United States suspended its diplomatic presence in Syria in 2012.

Under then-US President Donald Trump, Washington last June imposed its most sweeping sanctions ever targeting Assad and his inner circle to choke off revenue for his government in a bid to force it back to United Nations-led negotiations and broker an end to the country's decade-long war.

Arab states cut ties with Syria during the civil war, which the United Nations says killed at least 350,000 people, and US-allied Arab states, including opposition groups backed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates fighting Assad.

The United Arab Emirates and Syria restored diplomatic ties in 2018.

The Egyptian and Syrian foreign ministers met on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, in what Egyptian media said was the first meeting at that level for about a decade.

Officials in Jordan, a US ally, and Lebanon have urged Washington to ease sanctions on Syria.

"We believe that stability in Syria, and the greater region, can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians and we are committed to working with allies, partners, and the UN to ensure that a durable political solution remains within reach," the State Department spokesperson said.

Assad has recovered most of Syria but some areas remain outside his control. Turkish forces are deployed in much of the north and northwest, the last rebel stronghold, and US forces are stationed in the Kurdish-controlled east and northeast.

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The US State Department on Friday announced the addition of five Islamist terrorists to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, requiring the blocking of any ownership or interests in US properties they hold.

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The designations also expose individuals or foreign financial institutions who engage in certain transactions with the five to possible US sanctions.

The terrorists include Bonomade Machude Omar, the senior military commander of Islamic State's affiliate in Mozambique, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, noting Omar led a group of terrorists who killed dozens of people in an attack on the Amarula Hotel in the town of Palma in March.

He also is responsible for attacks elsewhere in Mozambique and in Tanzania, Blinken said.

Sidang Hitta and Salem Ould al-Hasan, senior leaders of Mali-based al- Qaida-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, were also designated, as were Ali Mohamed Rage and Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, leaders of the al Shabaab group of Somalia, Blinken said.

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After months of pressure from Jewish communal organizations, the Biden administration on Friday announced its nomination for US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

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Deborah Lipstadt, 74, is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University and the author of numerous books on the subject. Her 2019 book "Antisemitism Here and Now," which won the National Jewish Book Award that year, is considered a primer on antisemitism, according to the American Jewish Committee.

"The Biden administration has chosen wisely in appointing Deborah Lipstadt to fill this ambassadorial post, so vital to US leadership in fighting antisemitism," AJC CEO David Harris said in a news release. "Professor Lipstadt is one of this country's – indeed the world's – foremost experts on modern antisemitism, its constant morphing and multiple sources, and the current challenges to confronting it."

The position was created by the US Congress in 2004. Most recently, it was filled by Elan Carr under US President Donald Trump's administration. The position was upgraded to the rank of ambassador in the final months of the administration and now requires Senate confirmation.

The role of the ambassador is to increase awareness both in the United States and internationally of the menace of antisemitism and urge governments and institutions to take action to protect vulnerable Jewish communities.

"I first met Deborah Lipstadt in 1990 when she was the resident scholar on a trip to Poland and Israel. For decades, she has served as both academic and activist, inspiring policymakers to confront the harsh realities of antisemitism in our world and fight for justice," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said in a news release. "I can't imagine a better, more qualified person to lead the United States' efforts to combat antisemitism. Amid recent rising antisemitism around the globe, Deborah Lipstadt will lead with a vigorous moral clarity."

Lipstadt was the target of a libel suit from British Holocaust denier David Irving over how he was described in her 1993 book "Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory."

The lawsuit went on for five years until the London courts ruled in favor of Lipstadt in April 2000. Lipstadt's ordeal was made the focus of the 2016 film "Denial," where she was played by British actress Rachel Weisz.

Lipstadt's nomination was hailed by numerous Jewish organizations, which over the past months had been lobbying the White House to appoint a candidate as violent acts of antisemitism have seen exponential growth in the United States and the world, especially in the aftermath of Israel's conflict with Hamas in May.

This week, a swastika was discovered etched in a wood panel of an elevator inside the US State Department, not far from where Lipstadt's office will be.

Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer, welcomed the news on Friday.

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"With antisemitism on the rise in the US and around the world, Dr. Lipstadt is absolutely the right person at the right time for this critical role," Soifer said in a news release. "Dr. Lipstadt is one of the leading global authorities on antisemitism given her meticulous scholarship, deep personal commitment to the truth, and profound understanding of the dangers of extremism."

"We extend our sincere congratulations to Deborah Lipstadt upon her expected nomination to this critical State Department post that comes at a time we are witnessing a terrible surge in attacks and threats committed against the global Jewish community," Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy at the Orthodox Union, said in a release. "These range from assaults on individuals to legal assaults on fundamental Jewish rites including Kashrut and Brit Mila [circumcision ceremonies]. While it's unfortunate we need to have such a position at the State Department, Prof. Lipstadt is certainly the best person to fill this job."

B'nai B'rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin also applauded the nomination in a joint news release, in which they called her eminently qualified for the post.

"She has devoted her professional life to studying, teaching, and writing about the world's oldest hatred and to countering it on a global scale," they wrote. "B'nai B'rith looks forward to working with Lipstadt as antisemitism has spiked exponentially in the United States and around the world, manifesting itself in many forms and variants, oftentimes fueled by social media.

They continued: "It is vitally important that the US government, through the person of the special envoy, continue to assume a leadership position in the battle against this alarmingly growing challenge. Lipstadt's appointment is a most reassuring indication that this will indeed be effectuated."

The American Jewish Committee (AJC), expressed its approval of the appointment.

"The Biden Administration has chosen wisely in appointing Deborah Lipstadt to fill this ambassadorial post, so vital to US leadership in fighting antisemitism," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Professor Lipstadt is one of this country's, indeed the world's, foremost experts on modern antisemitism, its constant morphing and multiple sources, and the current challenges to confronting it. AJC has been honored to work closely with her for years, and we eagerly look forward to partnering to advance the envoy office's mission."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) is partnering with the Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism "to counter the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe as manifested through hate crimes such as acts of physical violence, desecration of religious community sites and religion-based discrimination. Combating anti-Semitism is part of promoting religious freedom globally," said the department in an announcement on Friday.

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The project would be between two and four years long, according to the announcement.

DRL would support the initiative "by strengthening the legal sector to identify, respond and prosecute crimes related to anti-Semitic hate focusing on physical violence, desecration of religious community sites, and religion-based discrimination in three to five countries in the Europe region," stated the department.

Examples include, but aren't limited to, "training and resources to law enforcement, lawyers, judges, CSOs, vulnerable communities, and others in the legal or advocacy sector on current laws regarding hate crimes and anti-discrimination, including national and international standards of anti-Semitic hate crime; identifying and prosecuting cases; providing victim support; and strategies to engage with local Jewish communities to both prevent and respond to anti-Semitic hate crimes."

The program could also include "creating national or regional networks of legal sector actors trained in prosecuting cases and supporting victims"; "engaging law students on identifying and responding to anti-Semitic hate crimes;" "monitoring implementation of local and national laws, including court-case monitoring and reporting abuses to national, regional, and international bodies to hold governments and law enforcement accountable;" and "engaging in strategic litigation to set case-law precedent regarding anti-Semitic hate crime."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The $105 million in Foreign Military Financing funds for the Lebanese Armed Forces was released just before the Thanksgiving holiday and lawmakers were notified of the step on Monday, according to two congressional staffers and an administration official.

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All three spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the matter.

The money had languished in limbo at the Office of Management and Budget since September although it had already won congressional approval and had overwhelming support from the Pentagon, State Department, and National Security Council. The White House has yet to offer any explanation for the delay despite repeated queries from Congress.

Lawmakers such as Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.), had been pressing the administration since October to either release the funds or explain why it was being withheld. The State Department had notified Congress on Sept. 5 that the money would be spent.
Earlier this month, the delay came up in impeachment testimony by David Hale, the No. 3 official in the State Department, according to the transcript of the closed-door hearing. Hale described growing consternation among diplomats about the delay.

The White House and the Office of Management and Budget have declined to comment on the matter. The State Department had offered only a cryptic response to queries, defending the assistance but also calling for Lebanese authorities to implement economic reforms and rein in corruption.

As with the Ukraine assistance, OMB did not explain the delay. However, unlike Ukraine, there has been no suggestion that President Donald Trump is seeking "a favor" from Lebanon in exchange for the aid, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The delay had frustrated the national security community, which believes the assistance that pays for US-made military equipment for the Lebanese army is essential, particularly as Lebanon reels from financial chaos and mass protests."

The aid is intended to help counter Iran's influence in Lebanon, which is highlighted by the presence of the Iranian-supported Shiite Hezbollah terrorist group in the government, officials have said.

"Holding the money weakened the Lebanese military just at the moment that they were holding the country together," Sen. Murphy (D-Conn.) said in response to the release. "There's literally nothing in the Middle East this White House can't screw up."

Rep. Ted Deutch, (D-Fla.), who joined Engel in demanding an explanation for the delay, said he was "pleased to see this critical aid finally resuming. Our assistance is crucial to help Lebanon counter Iran-backed Hezbollah and other groups threatening the region."

Some pro-Israel members of Congress have sought to defund the Lebanese military, arguing that it has been compromised by Hezbollah, which the US designates as a "foreign terrorist organization." Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has long advocated cutting the assistance and is expected to introduce legislation that would bar such aid as long as Hezbollah is part of Lebanon's government.

The Pentagon and State Department reject that view, saying the army is the only independent Lebanese institution capable of resisting Hezbollah.

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The officials said acting military investigative judge Najat Abu Shakra postponed the questioning of Amer Fakhoury at the Military Court in Beirut pending permission from Lebanon's Bar Association for an American lawyer to attend.

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The officials said Fakhoury told the judge he wants the American lawyer to be present and since she had no permission from the Bar Association, the judge decided to postpone the questioning. No date has been set for the next session, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Fakhoury was detained after returning to his native Lebanon from the US earlier this month. He had worked as a senior warden at the Khiam Prison in southern Lebanon that was run by an Israeli-backed militia, known as the South Lebanon Army until Israel ended an 18-year occupation of the area in 2000.

"The Department of State does not comment on cases involving American citizens due to privacy considerations," a State Department official said.

Outside the court, scores of people gathered, including former Khiam prison detainees, some of whom demanded the death penalty for Fakhoury.

"First of all we want the military court to deliver the death sentence by hanging for Amer Fakhoury and all those like him, whether they are inside Lebanon or outside, who are trying to erase their history and to return to Lebanon," said Firyal Hammoud, a former inmate of Khiam prison. "We do not accept less than a public death sentence."

Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948.

Human rights groups have said in the past that Khiam prison was a site of torture and detention without trial before it was abandoned in 2000. Israel denies the allegations.

Hundreds of former Lebanese members of the militia had fled to Israel, fearing reprisals if they remained in Lebanon. Others stayed and faced trial, receiving lenient sentences.

Fakhoury was living in Dover, New Hampshire and local media reported that the family owned a restaurant there.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu once met them at a grape leaves-making contest and talked about their shared Lebanese heritage, according to local media.

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The official website no longer has a separate entry for the Palestinian Authority. An archived version of the website from the 2009-2017 presidency of Barack Obama shows that "Palestinian Territories" were listed among countries and areas on both the opening page and in the section of the Near East bureau.

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A State Department official played down the shift when asked on Tuesday.

"The website is being updated. There has been no change to our policy," she said.

She did not say if the website, which recently underwent a redesign, would again include a separate entry for the Palestinian territories.

But Palestinian leaders doubted that the change – which follows the removal of the term "occupied territories" in some US publications and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's musings of annexing much of the West Bank – was unintentional.

The PA cabinet, after a meeting chaired on Monday by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, said that the move "confirms the American bias towards Israel."

The US alteration "cannot override Palestinian rights, which the world's countries have unanimously recognized," the PA cabinet's statement continued.

Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its veteran negotiator, said the removal "is not about US national interests. This is about advancing the agenda of the council of Israeli Settlers."

"Deciding not to see the truth does not mean canceling its existence," he tweeted.

Dan Shapiro, who served as US ambassador to Israel under Obama, called the website change "crazy."

"Palestinians are not going anywhere. US interests require engaging with them. Israel itself still cooperates with the Palestinian Authority in various ways," he tweeted.

Trump has been unabashedly supportive of Israel and has taken several landmark moves, including recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

He has also slashed funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and recently encouraged Netanyahu to ban entry of two Democratic lawmakers, Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

The Palestinian Authority has said that it no longer considers the United States as an honest broker and has refused Trump's peace initiatives, boycotting a conference in June in Bahrain that was aimed at economic development in the territories.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

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Asked if he would be willing to go to Tehran, Pompeo said in an interview with Bloomberg TV: "Sure. If that's the call, I'd happily go there ... I would welcome the chance to speak directly to the Iranian people."

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Tensions between Iran and the United States have ratcheted up since last year, when President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Iranian nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying it was not strong enough. Washington also reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

The relationship between the two countries has been strained further over the past three months following attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran.

Iran tested what appeared to be a medium-range ballistic missile on Wednesday that traveled about 1,000 km (620 miles), said a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The test did not pose a threat to shipping or any US personnel in the region, the official said.

Trump and Iranian leaders have both publicly said talks were possible, but on Wednesday, the top military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran would not negotiate with Washington under any circumstances, in what appeared to be a hardening of Iran's position amid the crisis.

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