Lebanon Seeks Arrest of Businessman Antoun Sehnaoui After Meeting Netanyahu

Lebanese judicial authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of influential businessman Antoun Sehnaoui, accusing him of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A judicial source informed AFP that prosecutor Ahmad Rami issued a 30-day wanted notice for Sehnaoui on charges of "dealing with the Israeli enemy and violating Lebanon's boycott law against Israel."

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on charges of dealing with the Israeli enemy and violating Lebanon's boycott law against Israel

Lebanese law strictly prohibits any contact with Israel, even as the two countries began direct talks under U.S. sponsorship in April. The controversy erupted after a photo surfaced showing Sehnaoui, a Lebanese Christian, and Netanyahu at a dinner in Washington. The dinner was reportedly held in memory of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and was hosted by Sehnaoui and former U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus.

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the matter required a "serious, transparent judicial investigation, free of any political, financial or clientelist immunity"

The image, which also appeared on Netanyahu's X account with Sehnaoui visible in the background, triggered widespread uproar on Lebanese social media across the political spectrum. Lebanese security forces confirmed the authenticity of the photo. Several lawyers have filed complaints demanding Sehnaoui's prosecution for "dealing with the enemy."

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come from generations of committed Lebanese Christian Zionists

Sehnaoui, chairman of Lebanon's SGBL bank and involved in media outlets, is known to favor normalizing ties with Israel. Morgan Ortagus had previously praised Sehnaoui at a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum event, noting his family's "committed Lebanese Christian Zionist" background and acknowledging that his actions were "technically illegal in Lebanon." The judicial official stated the prosecutor would examine the matter before deciding whether to refer it to the military court. The move comes at a sensitive time, as Israel is engaged in conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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What Antoun is doing today is technically illegal in Lebanon