More than a dozen Lebanese lawyers submitted a complaint on Wednesday to the Beirut prosecutor’s office against a prominent local banker. They accused him of violating Lebanese law by meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington this week.
In recent months, Lebanon and Israel have engaged in direct talks, supported by the U.S., to address recent conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, a political-military group backed by Iran in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese law prohibits citizens from interacting with Israelis, as the countries have been at war since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Violators risk imprisonment under these laws.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid published a photo on social media of banker Antoun Sehnaoui dining with Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. Ravid mentioned that Sehnaoui and former U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus organized a dinner on Monday in memory of the late senator Lindsey Graham, attended by the Israeli Prime Minister and U.S. officials. A website linked to Sehnaoui, This is Beirut, also shared details of what was termed a ‘special dinner.’
Sehnaoui’s lawyer in Beirut has not responded to requests for comment. The complaint claims Sehnaoui committed ‘crimes of contacting and dealing with the Israeli enemy, violating the boycott law against Israel, betrayal, and crimes against state security.’
Two of the Lebanese lawyers who filed the complaint told The Associated Press that the Sehnaoui-Netanyahu meeting occurred while the Israeli military continued attacks on Lebanon. The conflict intensified following attacks by Israel and the U.S. on Iran, leading Hezbollah to fire on Israel, which responded with air and ground strikes. More than 4,000 people in Lebanon have died, and Israel still occupies numerous villages.
The countries recently reached a framework agreement to address ongoing tensions.
One lawyer, Hassan Bazzi, stated that Sehnaoui violated the law and offended national sentiments. The lawyers expect the prosecutor’s office to perform its duties efficiently and swiftly. Another lawyer, Mohammed Hajj Hassan, termed the meeting a ‘public offense,’ anticipating judiciary investigation and possible arrest warrants.
It remains unclear how prosecutors will handle the case. In the past, authorities issued arrest warrants for similar breaches involving Lebanese citizens abroad.
A Lebanese Foreign Ministry official declined to comment when contacted by the AP. Sehnaoui, based mainly in the U.S. in recent years, has business interests in banking, media, and film industries in Lebanon and abroad.
Like other high-level bankers, Sehnaoui faced criticism after Lebanon’s economic collapse in 2019. The financial crisis was described by the World Bank as one of the worst globally since the 1850s, leading most people to lose access to their money. Some Lebanese have since sought to repeal a 1955 law banning dealings with Israel and punishing violators with up to 10 years in prison.
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