Lebanese judicial authorities issued an arrest warrant against prominent businessman Antoun Sehnaoui after he was photographed speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a dinner held two days ago in Washington honoring the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The warrant was issued for 30 days on suspicion of “contact with the Israeli enemy and violating Lebanon’s boycott law against Israel.”
According to Lebanese reports, the storm erupted after Sehnaoui—the Lebanese tycoon who co-hosted the dinner with his partner, former U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus—was photographed sitting at the same table with Netanyahu. The dinner was attended by Netanyahu and his wife Sara alongside other senior officials. The photo, published from the event, sparked widespread outrage on Lebanese social media across the political spectrum.
Following the documentation, several lawyers in the country filed a complaint demanding Sehnaoui be prosecuted for offenses related to contact with Israel and communication with Netanyahu. The attorney general granted the request and ordered security forces to open an investigation to determine whether the photo is “authentic” or was created using artificial intelligence.
Sehnaoui, who serves as chairman of Lebanon’s SGBL Bank and is known as a supporter of relations with Israel, is involved in media organizations in the country and is considered a major philanthropist. Former diplomat Ortagus previously noted that Sehnaoui and his family come from generations of “devoted Lebanese Christian Zionists,” adding that what he does today is “technically illegal in Lebanon.” The current legal move, which may be transferred to a military tribunal, is taking place even as Israel is engaged in contacts and agreements with Lebanon and with Prime Minister Netanyahu.