Fdd's overnight brief

Israel

After nearly a year of tit-for-tat exchanges with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Israel in September added the safe return of its civilians to northern towns and villages like Adamit as one of its war goals. It followed that declaration with a ground invasion and an intensive period of fighting which paused with the cease-fire earlier this week. – Wall Street Journal

The French government cast doubt on whether it would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under warrants issued by the International Criminal Court last week, suggesting that the Israeli leader might have immunity, a stance that raises questions about the court’s jurisdiction worldwide. – Wall Street Journal

When President Joe Biden vowed that the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon this week would be followed by a renewed push for a truce in the Gaza Strip, Jonathan Dekel-Chen made a deliberate effort not to get his hopes up. – Washington Post

Israel on Saturday said it had killed a World Central Kitchen worker it accused of taking part in the Hamas-led attack that started the war in Gaza last year, in the second Israeli strike to kill workers affiliated with the aid group. – New York Times

Hamas has long believed that a wider war in the Middle East would help deliver the organization a victory in its war with Israel. But the cease-fire deal to stop the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah has left that strategy in tatters, potentially removing Hamas’s most important ally from the fight, according to U.S. officials. – New York Times

Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video of an Israeli-American hostage on Saturday, in which he pleads for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to secure his release. – Reuters

An Israeli strike on a car wounded three people, including a seven-year-old child, on Saturday in the south Lebanon village of Majdal Zoun, the Lebanese Health Ministry said in a statement. – Reuters

Dozens of people were killed or wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a multi-storey house in northern Gaza on Saturday, medics and Gaza emergency services said, although the Israeli military said it was not aware of any attack in the area. – Reuters

A Palestinian opened fire on an Israeli bus near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank on Friday, wounding at least eight people before he was killed by Israeli troops, the Israeli military said. – Reuters

Israeli military strikes killed at least 26 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up their bombardment of central areas and tanks pushed deeper into the north and south of the enclave. – Reuters

It is too early to say whether Israel’s ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon has “significantly and sustainably” reduced the risk that led Moody’s to downgrade Israel’s sovereign credit rating, the agency said on Thursday. – Reuters

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named a temporary successor who would take over from him should he die or leave his post, addressing concerns of a possible power vacuum following his departure. – Reuters

Israel’s military says it destroyed Hezbollah’s “largest precision-guided missiles manufacturing site” as a lawmaker is vowing that the terrorist group will “fight and resist” any attacks on Lebanon. – Fox News

The IDF on Monday confirmed that Capt. Omer Maxim Neutra died on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken by Hamas back to Gaza. – Jerusalem Post

The Attorney General’s Office will file an indictment on Monday to the Haifa District Court against the four suspects who fired flares at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Caesarea. – Arutz Sheva

After more than one month of investigations, the Shin Bet (ISA) reached the conclusion on Sunday that the truck ramming attack in Glilot was a terrorist attack. – Arutz Sheva 

As Israel and mediating countries have been working to formulate a new framework for a potential hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security discussion on the issue on Sunday evening. – Times of Israel

An Israeli drone strike near the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday morning killed four Palestinian gunmen including a Hamas terrorist responsible for a deadly shooting attack in the Jordan Valley in the summer, the military said. – Times of Israel

The government on Sunday will deliberate proposed legislation that would ban Qatar from mediating between Israel and the Hamas terror group, as well as a bill to sanction workers in “terror-supporting organizations,” according to an itinerary of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation published Thursday. – Times of Israel

The National Security Council warned on Saturday that the “terrorist infrastructure” that murdered Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE last week is planning additional attacks on Israelis and Jews in southeast Asia, especially Thailand. – Times of Israel

Editorial: Finally, Israel’s leadership must embrace a vision for the Galilee as a national priority. This includes allocating significant resources for infrastructure development, creating incentives for young families to move to the region, and investing in industries that can drive economic growth. Programs that support agricultural innovation, eco-tourism, and hi-tech development in the Galilee can transform the region into a vibrant economic hub. Strengthening the Galilee is not just a matter of regional development; it is a national imperative. By focusing on this vital region, Israel can build a more robust, more secure, and more prosperous future for all its citizens. – Jerusalem Post

Benny Gantz writes: None of this will be easy. Yet it’s all necessary to root out Iranian influence and pave the way toward a free and prosperous Lebanon. The free world, led by the U.S. and President-elect Trump, will need to deploy significant leverage to achieve these goals, but the prospect of Lebanese freedom and regional normalization in the long-term isn’t out of reach. Unlike the Iranian regime, which seeks to subjugate Lebanon and exploit its people, Israel seeks to coexist with its neighbor to the north. Israel’s wars have always been waged against Hezbollah and other terror organizations—never against the people of Lebanon. – Wall Street Journal

Inbar Ben Harush writes: As I write, Hezbollah still operates with Iranian and Syrian support. It can still fire rockets, and its intentions remain the same: to destroy Israel. If we, the displaced residents of northern Israel, were to return, it would be to live under the same threats as in the past: rocket attacks at best, invasion at worst — especially given the likelihood of Israel, within a few years, letting its guard down again […]Peace is not achieved through deals with terrorists or reliance on international forces that have already failed us. If the residents of the north agree to return home under these conditions, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when the inevitable happens. – Washington Post

Marc Champion writes: This again seems an unlikely path for Trump, given the appointments he’s made and his position on Israel. But as I’ve written before, that could change as he finds the world much altered from his last term in office. His friends in the Arab Gulf are no longer as aligned with Israeli interests as they were when he produced the Abraham Accords. Trump may need to choose between Netanyahu’s desire to go on fighting and the political need of Gulf leaders to see an end to the war in Gaza their populations can accept. To go down in history as the man who ended forever wars, this would be the place to start. – Bloomberg

Dov S. Zakheim writes:  Netanyahu is of no such mind. He still wants to go after what he calls “the head of the octopus” and remains “determined to do anything needed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” Biden and his team deserve credit for the truce they have negotiated between Israel and Hezbollah. But a truce is just that and nothing more. The Lebanon agreement is certainly a step toward resolving the entire Middle East crisis, as the president asserts. But it is only a small step that is far too easily reversible. The crisis is far from over. – The Hill

Russia & Ukraine

The limbo that Galkin and Vyshniak find themselves in is the result of a protracted standoff between the two countries over the fate of their soldiers as the war grinds through its third year. Russia holds an estimated 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine is believed to have up to 5,000 Russians waiting to be returned to their homeland. The countries don’t release official figures. – Wall Street Journal

The Russian economy, surprisingly resilient through two-plus years of war and sanctions, has suddenly begun to show serious strains. The ruble is plunging. Inflation is soaring, and President Vladimir Putin told the Russian people this week that there isn’t any reason to panic. – Wall Street Journal

Russian officials and media outlets have been closely watching President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, meticulously tracking the nominees’ positions on military aid to Ukraine and opinions of President Vladimir Putin, in hopes of predicting the policies of a president who is famously unpredictable. – Washington Post

Hours after President-elect Donald Trump selected a new special envoy to tackle a top campaign promise of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia fired a new barrage of missiles at Ukraine’s power grid, plunging parts of the country back into darkness. – Washington Post

After Russia’s launch last week of its Oreshnik intermediate-range missile, state-owned propaganda outlet RT aired a video graphic depicting the missile’s flight times to major European capitals: 20 minutes to London and Paris, 15 minutes to Berlin and 12 minutes to Warsaw. – Washington Post

Russian troops in eastern Ukraine have seized at least 10 villages and settlements in roughly as many days, according to a group with ties to the Ukrainian Army that maps the battlefield, as Moscow presses on with slow but steady advances that have heightened pressure on Ukraine’s authorities to start cease-fire talks. – New York Times

Russia hit critical electricity transmission facilities linked to nuclear power plants during its latest assault on Ukraine’s power grid on Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported. It was the third such attack in roughly as many months, heightening concerns among experts about the potential for a nuclear disaster. – New York Times

The men of 126th Territorial Defense Brigade are among elite forces of the Ukrainian army. Trained by British special operations forces, among others, they have been conducting cross-river operations, alongside marine infantry brigades and special intelligence units, against Russian forces in the southern Kherson region for the best part of two years. – New York Times

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the outgoing U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Sunday to help convince NATO members to invite Ukraine to join the alliance, as Ukraine’s war with Russia enters an unpredictable new phase. – Reuters

At least three people were killed in a Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the regional governor said on Sunday. – Reuters

Russia launched attack drones at Kyiv in its latest overnight air strike on the Ukrainian capital, city officials said on Sunday. – Reuters

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy replaced the commander of the military’s land forces on Friday, putting Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi in charge, as Russia notches up gains in the east and Kyiv’s troops face manpower shortages. – Reuters

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed into law on Thursday Ukraine’s first wartime tax increases as the war against Russia reaches its 34th month. – Reuters

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit, his second since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour nearly three years ago, public broadcaster ZDF reported on Monday. – Reuters 

Ukraine will need tens of thousands of uncrewed robotic ground vehicles next year to shuttle ammunition and supplies to infantry in the trenches and evacuate wounded soldiers, a senior government minister told Reuters. – Reuters

The head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service said Friday that Russia is conducting a “staggeringly reckless” sabotage campaign against Ukraine’s Western allies, and that his spies are working to stop the consequences from spiraling out of control. – Associated Press

Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Gorinov was convicted again on Friday for opposing Russia’s war in Ukraine and handed a three-year prison term. – Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine. – Associated Press

Russian police raided several bars and nightclubs across Moscow on Saturday as part of the government’s crackdown on “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” state media reported. – Associated Press

Two Russian fighters intercepted a pair of B-52H Stratofortresses near the Baltic Sea on Monday, a U.S. defense official confirmed Wednesday. – Defense News

Imran Khalid writes: The decision to permit Kyiv’s use of ATACMS missiles on Russian soil is a calculated escalation — one aimed at reshaping the battlefield. Yet the timing of this move is unmistakable: it reverberates beyond the immediate conflict, reaching into the corridors of Trump’s transition team. While Trump has remained uncharacteristically silent on Ukraine so far. As Moscow weighs its next moves, it must contend not only with Ukraine’s resilience but with the potential volatility of an American president eager to assert control. The stakes, as ever, teeter on the edge of clarity, leaving all sides grappling with a future that remains perilously undefined. – The Hill

Timothy Ash writes: For Russia however, there are no silver linings — a weaker ruble means higher inflation, resultant higher policy rates (already at an eye-watering 21%), and lower growth. It will crimp living standards and potentially risk social and political cohesion. All of which increases the risks to Putin of continuing the war, and might just push him to the negotiating table. Perhaps anyway. Why did it take the Biden administration so long? – Centre for European Policy Analysis

Afghanistan

For the first time since the Taliban takeover three years ago, Afghans living outside the country have begun flocking back to their homeland, usually to visit relatives who have remained in Afghanistan. – Washington Post

Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention.Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. – The Guardian

From his home in Kansas City — more than 7,000 miles away from Afghanistan — U.S. Army veteran Jason Kander joined with a group of private citizens to plot a fake wedding to disguise the escape of hundreds of Afghans vulnerable to the Taliban. – CBS News

The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) wants to work with the Taliban in combating drug and arms trafficking despite the organization being listed an a terrorist entity in the country, The Moscow Times reported on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post

Iraq

Iraq is taking high-level diplomatic actions toward Western countries, in addition to an unnamed Arab country, which reportedly has ties to Israel, an official in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry told the London-based Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Monday. – Jerusalem Post

Overshadowed by the ceasefire declaration in Lebanon, a series of somewhat absurd events related to Iraq over the last week offer clues as to the underlying dynamics of Israel’s regional confrontation with Iran and its allies. These events, their comic aspect aside, cast light on both the strengths and the sharp limitations of the Iran-led regional project. – Jerusalem Post

Azhar Al-Rubaie writes: The census process has cost the state millions of dollars, but other countries have found much more cost-effective methods of obtaining this information. For instance, using national ID numbers linked to Iraq’s unified identification system could have streamlined the process, which other countries have used to avoid the cumbersome process of manual enumeration and door-to-door surveys. Yet in Iraq, many citizens lack these ID cards due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and cumbersome procedures, which can frequently push applicants to resort to paying bribes to complete their applications. – Washington Institute

Lebanon

The fragile peace between Israel and Hezbollah largely hangs on 10,000 soldiers in the Lebanese Army. The last time it was tasked with enforcing a cease-fire, it plainly failed. – New York Times

The Israeli military issued new warnings to residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border on Friday, telling them not to return to their homes, as the fragile U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to largely hold despite another Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. – New York Times

A ceasefire deal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel expands the area expected to be free of Hezbollah’s arms and spells out the Lebanese security forces entitled to carry weapons, sharpening language from prior U.N. resolutions on the matter in ways that appear to corner Hezbollah, diplomats and analysts said. – Reuters

Lebanon’s parliament Thursday renewed the term of army chief Joseph Aoun, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in next year’s vote. The parliament has seldom met since Israel’s war with Hezbollah began 14 months ago, and has not convened to try to elect a president since June 2023, leaving the country in a political gridlock. – Associated Press

In Lebanon there are areas which house over a million displaced Shiites from the suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, with some even choosing to leave for Iraq and Syria, the Alma Research and Education Center reported on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post

David Ramadan writes: The Israel-Hezbollah deal is not a triumph of diplomacy but a devastating chapter for Lebanon. Israel and Iran emerge with strategic gains, while Lebanon lies shattered, its people left to suffer under the weight of destruction and entrenched corruption. If the Lebanese people do not rise to reclaim their sovereignty and demand accountability, the cycle of despair will only deepen. – The Hill

Michael Young writes: So, the claims of victory we are hearing from some Lebanese are, ultimately, pitiful. In the end, Lebanon is and will alas remain a nation of pawns, of gambling chips, in a wider regional and international power game. Today, many in the country’s south, the Beqaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs have lost everything, but for what purpose? To be Iranian sandbags against Israel so that Iran itself can be protected? To see the Americans and Israelis make backchannel arrangements at their expense? Where can one see any victory here? – Carnegie Endowment

Arabian Peninsula

The killing has shaken the small community of Jews who set up in the Gulf state in the wake of the Abraham Accords brokered during Donald Trump’s first term as president and which normalized relations between Israel and the U.A.E. and three other countries. It is the first new Jewish community to be established in the Arab world since waves of native Jews were expelled in the decades following the establishment of the state of Israel. – Wall Street Journal

The killers of Chabad rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates originally planned to take him hostage to neighboring Oman, before their plan went awry and they murdered him, US media reported Sunday. – Times of Israel

Yoel Guzansky writes: Israeli policymakers should avoid making their usual public threats and downplay Iran’s role in this incident to spare the Emiratis embarrassment. Publicly attributing the attack to Iran undermines the UAE’s image as a safe and secure state while escalating the tensions between the UAE and Iran. Israel has a vested interest in maintaining robust and prosperous relations with the UAE, currently the warmest peace Israel shares with any Arab state. However, this warm peace could quickly cool. – Jerusalem Post

Middle East & North Africa

The Israeli military said on Sunday that a projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted before it crossed into Israeli territory. The military earlier said sirens had sounded in a number of areas in central Israel following a launch from Yemen. – Reuters

U.S. Navy destroyers shot down seven missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the warships and three American merchant vessels they were escorting through the Gulf of Aden. No damage or injuries were reported. – Associated Press

Politicians, writers and activists have called for the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, whose arrest in Algeria is seen as the latest instance of the stifling of creative expression in the military-dominated North African country. – Associated Press

China

On the first day of a highly sensitive visit to the U.S., Taiwan President Lai Ching-te sent a firm but conciliatory message to both China and the incoming Trump administration: While Taipei doesn’t seek a war with Beijing, it is counting on U.S. support to deter any aggression from its larger neighbor. – Wall Street Journal

China has been supporting Russia’s economy since the start of the Ukraine war by buying its oil while supplying it with everything from microelectronics to washing machines. Meanwhile, Beijing has been getting its own strategic benefit: a real-world case study in how to circumvent Western sanctions. – Wall Street Journal

A rare prisoner swap between China and the U.S. this week that secured the release of three Americans points to Beijing’s willingness to negotiate with Washington on high-profile cases, including ones involving charges of espionage. – Wall Street Journal

A Chinese court sentenced a veteran journalist to seven years in jail for espionage charges related to his interactions with diplomats, academics and journalists from Japan and the U.S., a case his family described as an effort to deter dissent and unsanctioned exchanges with foreigners. – Wall Street Journal

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has purged a senior admiral who oversaw political indoctrination in the military, taking down one of his protégés and extending a broad anticorruption crackdown that has rocked Beijing’s defense establishment. – Wall Street Journal

China vowed “resolute countermeasures” on Sunday to a recently approved U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, and complained to the U.S. for arranging for the democratically governed island’s president to transit through U.S. territory. – Reuters

The U.S. will launch its third crackdown in three years on China’s semiconductor industry on Monday, restricting exports to 140 companies including chip equipment maker Naura Technology Group (002371.SZ) among other moves, according to two people familiar with the matter. – Reuters

China’s military deployed naval and air forces to conduct patrols around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea on Thursday, the military’s Southern Theater Command said in a statement. – Reuters

China warned on Thursday it would take “necessary actions” to protect Chinese firms if the U.S. escalated chip control measures, following reports that the Biden administration could unveil new export restrictions as soon as this week. – Reuters

Asia

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of spare parts for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan for an estimated $385 million, the Pentagon said on Friday, a day before Taiwan President Lai Ching-te starts a sensitive Pacific trip. – Reuters

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday the presence of a Russian attack submarine in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea was “very worrisome”. – Reuters

Myanmar’s navy opened fire on a group of Thai fishing vessels on Saturday, causing one fisherman to drown, and detained 31 crew members from one of the boats, a spokesperson for Thailand’s Defence Ministry said. – Reuters

Chinese and Russian militaries have organised and carried out the ninth joint strategic air patrol in “relevant airspace” over the Sea of Japan on Friday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said. – Reuters

Taiwan’s president visited a U.S. State Department-funded think tank and educational institution Sunday on the second day of a two-day visit to Hawaii that’s part of a Pacific island tour that has already triggered criticism from Beijing. – Associated Press

Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who survived as leader after a major election loss by his governing coalition, promised Friday to work closely with the long-ignored opposition that is now the only way his minority government can stay in power. – Associated Press

Six Cambodian activists charged with treason over Facebook comments criticizing their government have been deported from Thailand to stand trial, a pro-democracy group said Thursday. – Associated Press

Africa

Chad, a longtime Western counterterrorism ally in central Africa, said it is ending military ties with France, the latest country in the troubled Sahel region to break with its former colonial power amid rising anti-French sentiment. – Wall Street Journal

It is part of an opaque network of groups that Western officials and analysts say the Kremlin uses to boost Russia’s image — and tarnish that of Western countries — as it seeks to restore its influence in Africa. The U.S. State Department this year accused African Initiative’s partner organization, based in Moscow, of seeking to undermine U.S.-funded public health projects across Africa, which the group has denied. – Washington Post

The visit is largely meant to draw attention to Mr. Biden’s signature effort in Africa: investment in an 800-mile railway known as the Lobito Corridor that U.S. officials say will transport minerals needed for clean energy, attract private investment and spark broader development in Angola. It’s also an effort to counter the influence of China, which has been heavily invested in Angola for years.- New York Times

Mali’s government said on Sunday it had killed a senior Tuareg rebel commander and other rebels in a drone strike on a town in the north of the country. – Reuters

Kenyan President William Ruto said on Saturday he and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni would help mediate between Ethiopia and Somalia in a dispute that threatens to destabilise the Horn of Africa region. – Reuters

The government of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubbaland state said on Thursday it was suspending relations and cooperation with the federal government in Mogadishu following a dispute over local elections in the region. – Reuters

Authorities in Mali have arrested four senior employees of a Canadian mining company as the military regime in the West African nation continues to detain workers to pressure companies in its crucial mining sector to pay millions in additional taxes. – Associated Press

East African heads of state made another push for peace in eastern Congo on Saturday but its prospects remained bleak following a regional summit that was marked by the Congolese president’s absence and an early departure of his Rwandan counterpart. – Associated Press

Justice Malala writes:  In a column published Nov. 15 by Fox News, Trump’s Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent wrote that tariffs were a “negotiating tool with our trading partners.” But why sit back and wait for proposals from Bessent or Trump on how trade with Africa will work? It’s better to give them some ideas and make a deal that benefits Africa. In the meantime, continental leaders will hopefully fire up implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement — which aims to create a single market for goods and services — and other economic growth measures that would make the region less reliant on foreign powers. And less jittery about a new US leader. – Bloomberg

Latin America

American oil executives and bond investors are urging President-elect Donald Trump to abandon his first-term policy of maximum pressure on Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and instead strike a deal: more oil for fewer migrants. – Wall Street Journal

Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil, wants to return to power and said he believes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will help make that happen, possibly by using economic sanctions against the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. – Wall Street Journal

Two senior police officers were arrested in Brazil on suspicion that they took bribes and provided security for illegal gold mining activity in the Amazon, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Friday. – Reuters

Brazil’s Federal Police in late November formally accused far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others of planning a coup to keep him in office. The agency described a multi-step scheme, substantiated by evidence and testimony, in an 884-page report. – Associated Press

Venezuelan lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill that codifies economic sanctions, like those imposed by the United States, as crimes against humanity and allows the prosecution of anyone who expresses support for the measures. – Associated Press

Bolivia’s highest court on Wednesday approved the extradition to the United States of a former anti-narcotics chief on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S., a rare ruling against a top security official in the Andean nation whose relations with Washington have been strained for decades. – Associated Press

United States

President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday, wiping away his criminal convictions on tax and gun charges despite saying earlier this year he wouldn’t grant such a reprieve. – Wall Street Journal

As the Biden administration seeks to broker an end-of-term peace deal in the Middle East, it is bringing along a surprising back-seat partner: Donald Trump. Instead of slamming a White House-brokered Lebanon cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah announced Tuesday, Trump and his advisers have stayed largely quiet about the diplomatic breakthrough. – Wall Street Journal

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born billionaire and father-in-law to his daughter Tiffany, to be his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, adding another person with family ties to his foreign-policy roster. – Wall Street Journal

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that the BRICS nations, a group of nine countries with emerging economies, commit to not creating a new currency or back any other currency to replace the U.S. dollar, threatening to impose punitive duties on their imports if they do not comply. – Washington Post

Several Republican U.S. senators said on Sunday they would back President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Kash Patel to head the FBI, an early show of support for a loyalist who has called for the bureau to be purged of those who oppose Trump’s agenda. – Reuters

U.S. trade officials announced on Friday a new round of tariffs on solar panel imports from four Southeast Asian nations after American manufacturers complained that companies there are flooding the market with unfairly cheap goods. – Reuters

Noah Bookbinder and Gregg Nunziata write: The two of us worked together in politically contentious times during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, under Democratic and Republican chairmen. The Judiciary Committee’s confirmation process had a reputation for being brutal. But disagreements about nominations never extended to the background investigation. No nominee would have moved forward to a committee hearing or vote without a meaningful review. Mr. Trump’s nominees should be treated no differently. – New York Times

Robbie Diamond and Morgan Ortagus write: The new administration must act swiftly. The consequences of inaction will soon be irreversible. By taking bold steps now, the United States can reduce its reliance on China, secure its technological future, and strengthen alliances. The alternative is far less appealing: letting Beijing’s mineral dominance dictate the terms of America’s economic and security policies in the decades to come. – Washington Examiner

Defense

A U.S. Navy destroyer can fire dozens of cruise missiles within minutes. Reloading the deadly warship back in port can take two months. In a war against China, that could be a fatal weakness. To overcome the delay, Navy engineers pulled a 30-year-old crane out of storage, wired it up to computers, and used it to build a new prototype reloading system called the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method. – Wall Street Journal

Many worry that solar geoengineering could have unintended consequences, shattering regional weather patterns and damaging everything from agriculture to local economies. And the first steps could be done quietly, by a rogue actor or another nation operating without any regulations or controls. So the United States is building a system that would allow it to determine if and when others may be trying to tamper with the Earth’s thermostat. – New York Times

Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) departed the Port Klang Cruise Terminal in Malaysia on Wednesday, according to the Royal Malaysian Navy. The carrier is now sailing down the Malacca Strait heading to the South China Sea. – USNI News

Editorial: As for priorities, Hegseth is — like his would-be boss — preoccupied with culture-war issues. He argues that diversity, equity and inclusion programs are sapping warfighters of their martial spirit. He wants transgender troops out of the military and women out of combat roles. He’d also like to purge “woke” generals from the ranks. Wherever one stands on such issues, they’re far from the most pressing concerns facing the US military. (Funding for DEI programs amounts to 0.02% of the Pentagon budget.) A leader who prioritizes this sort of thing will only be distracted from the lengthening list of more urgent challenges. – Bloomberg

Glen VanHerck and Pete Fesler write: The services are investing heavily in modernizing the nation’s nuclear deterrent. Replacing the Air Force’s aging Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles is estimated to cost $96 billion over the next decade. These systems were designed to deter a nuclear attack by promising devastating retaliation. They were never intended to deter more limited non-nuclear strikes, cyberattacks or attacks by small, unmanned drones on infrastructure. Adversaries are unlikely to believe the U.S. will respond with nukes to a non-nuclear attack. Nuclear deterrence isn’t enough to defend against new weapons. – Wall Street Journal

Kori Schake writes: Legislators and governors can also press the president not to invoke the Insurrection Act. There is objectively no insurrection occurring in our country, and manipulating executive privilege to declare one would be an abuse of power. It would also cause the public to view the military as a tool of domestic repression. In a volunteer army, such a perception will affect not just recruitment but also the types of people who choose to serve, and this will further erode public trust in the military, which has already been on the wane since Trump and Republican opinion leaders began attacking senior military officials. – The Atlantic