We’re back! What a summer to take a holiday. Ben and Nizar talk over everything that has happened in this past month, in particular the now declared “state of economic emergency” in Lebanon and why no side wants to escalate the border skirmish between Hezbollah and Israel.

Also covered: cabinet gets back to work, what the ratings downgrade actually means in practice, a tentative plan to avoid another trash crisis, and the US sanctioning of Jammal Trust Bank.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

Discussion of the Lebanese diaspora begins at 20:05.

Nizar and Ben are joined by Sergio Jalil, director of CELIBAL, the Centro De Estudios Libaneses Para America Latina(Center for Lebanese Studies in Latin America) to talk about the Lebanese diaspora, its impact here in Lebanon, and why it is not near as homogenous as it is made out to be.

Also discussed: Aoun refuses to sign the budget law, cabinet still hasn't met, the Palestinians continue their protest, the Israeli ambassador to the UN tries to set up the Port of Beirut as a target, and the band Mashrou’ Leila becomes the target of campaign against it performing next month at Byblos International Festival.

**In the podcast Ben notes the president cannot veto a law. This is true, however, some details were incorrect. If the president refuses to sign a law he can delay its passage for a month. Once that month runs out the law goes into effect. However, the president can also send the law back to Parliament, and if he does it must be repassed by a majority.**

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

Discussion of Palestinian labor protests begins at 15:20.

Ben and Nizar are joined by Islam Khatib, a Palestinian organizer, to talk about the Palestinian labor protests that have erupted in this past week; what sparked them and the political and historical context around them.

Also covered in the 52nd episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: We finally have a budget! Though, as Ben explains, it's not quite a champagne moment for the country. Meanwhile, it's been 20 days without a cabinet meeting as the fallout over Aley continues to cause division.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The border discussion begins at 19:35.

Ben and Nizar are joined by Joseph Haboush, the Lebanon desk editor at The Daily Star, to talk about southern border disputes, in particular the recent shuttle diplomacy efforts of the Americans to bring Lebanon and Israel to the table over their shared maritime border.

Also discussed on the 51st episode of The Lebanese Politics Podcast: the energy ministry launches a prequalification round for two new power plants; the budget committee finishes its review of the budget with further cuts implemented, the budget is now passed to Parliament; the continuing fallout from the Aley clashes, and how this could prevent the budget being passed; US sanctions of Hezbollah officials, including two MPs, and Nasrallah's speech.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on the Aley clashes begins at 17:05.

Ben and Nizar take a closer look at the clashes in Aley that left two people dead on June 30, the political context behind this violence, and how in Lebanon, geography and rhetoric matter.

Also covered in the 50th episode: the latest on controversial incinerators, Trump's "Deal of the Century," Parliament's appointment of members to the Constitutional Council, the budget, and the IMF's lack of enthusiasm for proposed deficit cutting measures.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion of freedom of expression begins at 14:20.

Ben and Nizar are joined this week by Ayman Mhanna, director of the Samir Kassir Foundation, a regional press freedom and freedom of expression organization to answer the question of whether there is freedom of expression in Lebanon today.

Also discussed: controversy in Hadath, a civil marriage, Ramlet el-Baida, maritime border talks, budget and protests, and the LU strike.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion of higher education begins at 15:14.

Ben and Nizar take a look at the Lebanese University, in light of a six week strike from professors over budget cuts bringing the only public higher education institution in the country to a stand-still, before analyzing the context of the strike, the marginalization of the LU, and the political and sectarian dimensions to private higher education institutions in Lebanon.

Also discussed: Nizar Zakka is freed from Iran, Bassil's comments on foreign workers spark controversy, Boustani says more power cuts are expected but offers up an odd reason, a solid waste plans that seems to suggest the worst of all options, what lies behind recent political spats, and what's that smell? The expert edition.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion on the Lebanese Forces starts at 16:59.

The third in our party profiles series, Ben and Nizar dive deep into the history and the formation of the Lebanese Forces, from its beginnings as a civil war militia to the fully fledged party structure it has today. See the LF manifesto here: https://www.lstatic.org/PDF/choraa.pdf

Also discussed: The attack in Tripoli, the burning of the Deir al-Ahmar refugee camp, the latest on the Hajj Hobeiche case and the upcoming release of Nizar Zakka, and packed parliamentary committee gets down to budget nitty gritty.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

We're back! Fresh from our spring hiatus, and a lot has happened in our absence.

No deep dive this episode, Ben and Nizar instead delve into the important goings on of the past few weeks, including: racism in Faraya, homophobia and the Grindr ban, the passing of the former patriarch, Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, multiple crack downs on freedom of expression, the long-awaited result of the Hajj Hobeiche case, potential US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel over the maritime border, the budget passed by cabinet, and, of course, all the austerity protests.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel

The discussion of anti-establishment politics begins at 15:34.

It’s Nizar’s favorite topic: anti-establishment politics. Nizar and Ben analyze the current situation of anti-establishment political groups, the path that brought them to this point, and the million-dollar question, can they ever achieve real change?

Also discussed on the forty-fifth episode of TLPP: a oil spill without a culprit, the expansion of the Bourj Hammoud landfill, spats between Future and FPM, and between Hezbollah and the PSP, and the latest on the budget and austerity protests.

For more on the main topic, see:

- On the 2018 election: Helou, Zeina: "Lebanon’s 2018 Elections: An Opportunity for “New” Political Actors?" Available at https://civilsociety-centre.org/resource/lebanon%E2%80%99s-2018-elections-opportunity-%E2%80%9Cnew%E2%80%9D-political-actors Copyright ©Lebanon

- On the 2015 protest movement: Hassan, Nizar. "Lebanon's 2015 Protest Movement: An analysis of class (and) power". Available at: https://www.academia.edu/34604612/Lebanons_2015_Protest_Movement_An_analysis_of_class_and_power

- On the 2011 and 2015 protest movements: Abi Yaghi et al., "From isqat an-nizam at-ta'ifi to the Garbage Crisis Movement: Political Identities and Antisectarian Movements", Chapter 5 in the book "Lebanon Facing the Arab Uprising" edited by Di Peri and Meier.

Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check out his other work @elepheel