A group of over a dozen Lebanese lawyers filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Beirut prosecutor’s office against a prominent local banker. The lawyers claim the banker violated Lebanese laws by meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington earlier this week.
For the first time in decades, Lebanon and Israel have engaged in direct talks, backed by the United States, over the last three months. These talks aim to end the recent clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed political-military group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese laws prohibit citizens from interacting with Israelis, as both countries remain in a state of war since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Violators of this law could face imprisonment.
Barak Ravid, a reporter for Axios, shared a photo on the platform X, showing banker Antoun Sehnaoui dining with Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, at a restaurant. Ravid mentioned Sehnaoui and former U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus hosted a dinner in memory of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. This event included the Israeli premier and U.S. officials. A website linked to Sehnaoui, This is Beirut, provided details of this special dinner.
As of now, Sehnaoui’s lawyer in Beirut has not commented on the matter. The complaint accuses Sehnaoui of “contacting and dealing with the Israeli enemy, violating the boycott law against Israel, committing treason, and crimes against state security.” Two of the Lebanese lawyers who filed the complaint informed The Associated Press that the Sehnaoui-Netanyahu meeting happened while the Israeli military was still conducting strikes against Lebanon.
The conflict reignited two days after Israel and the United States targeted Iran. Subsequently, Hezbollah fired into Israel, prompting Israeli air and ground attacks. These clashes have resulted in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon, and Israel continues to occupy numerous villages and towns. The two nations recently reached a framework agreement.
Lawyer Hassan Bazzi stated that Sehnaoui’s actions violated the law and offended national sentiments. He hopes the prosecution will act “efficiently and swiftly.” Another lawyer, Mohammed Hajj Hassan, labeled the meeting as a “public offense” and anticipates a judicial investigation, which might lead to arrest warrants. It remains unclear how prosecutors will handle the case. In the past, similar situations led to arrest warrants against Lebanese citizens abroad.
An official from Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment when contacted by the AP.
Sehnaoui, primarily residing in the United States in recent years, manages businesses in Lebanon and abroad, including banking, media, and film industries. Along with other top bankers, Sehnaoui faced heavy criticism during Lebanon’s historic economic collapse in 2019, when most people lost access to their funds. The World Bank described this economic crisis as one of the worst globally since the 1850s.
Sehnaoui’s meeting with the Israeli leader took place amid calls from some Lebanese citizens to repeal a 1955 law. This law forbids dealing with Israel or interacting with Israelis, and violators face up to 10 years in prison.