A widely circulated image showed Lebanese banker and politician Antoun Sehnaoui attending a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the United States (US).
The dinner was also attended by US Senator Ted Cruz, senior policy adviser at the US Mission to the United Nations Morgan Ortagus, and Netanyahu’s wife, Sara Netanyahu.
Lebanese Law
Lebanese law strictly criminalizes any form of contact, collaboration, or business dealings with Israel, an enemy state. Key provisions are contained in the 1955 Anti-Israel Boycott Law and the Lebanese Penal Code, particularly Articles 273 and 285.
Following the circulation of the image, the Public Prosecutor issued a search notice concerning Sehnaoui. According to Megaphone, the process involves verifying the image’s authenticity, locating Sehnaoui and confirming where he lives and works, as well as examining information concerning him. However, the notice does not yet lead to an arrest warrant.
Sehnaoui Pursues Lawsuits Against Writers and Activists in Lebanon
The legal team affiliated to Sehnaoui has filed numerous lawsuits against journalists, writers, activists, and other individuals across Lebanon. A significant proportion of these are defamation lawsuits, which are widely used not only as legal measures but also as intimidation tactics.
The timing of the photo has therefore drawn attention to a striking dichotomy: a person who has so openly appeared alongside Israeli officials and who has faced numerous allegations of legal wrongdoing in Lebanon relating to the banking sector and other dealings is nevertheless able to pursue extensive legal action against individuals in the country.
How the judiciary and the state as a whole address these issues stand as a true test on the current direction of the country’s governance, and whether personal benefits are going to take precedence over the country’s legal and rights-based landscape, as has been the case throughout Lebanon’s history.
