Anger in Lebanon: Netanyahu's dinner guest sparks scandal
A scandal erupted in Lebanon after a photo was published of a dinner in Washington attended by Netanyahu and Lebanese banker Antoine Sahnawi. Lawyers filed a complaint, and a judge ordered the businessman to be questioned; he faces arrest upon returning to Lebanon due to a law prohibiting contacts with Israel.
A political and legal scandal has erupted in Lebanon following the publication of photographs from a dinner in Washington attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, along with Lebanese businessman and banker Antoine Sahnawi. The event took place at the Four Seasons hotel and was dedicated to the memory of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11. Sahnawi and his partner, American diplomat Morgan Ortagus, were among the organizers of the evening. About twenty Lebanese lawyers filed a complaint with the Attorney General, alleging that Sahnawi has illegal ties with Israel. Judge Ahmed Rami al-Haj of the Court of Appeals ordered that the businessman be found and questioned within 30 days. He is currently in the United States, but upon returning to Lebanon he may face detention or arrest, as Lebanese law prohibits contacts and transactions with Israeli citizens. Politicians have joined the criticism: MP Halima Kakour called the incident a 'deep moral and national crisis,' and Ibrahim Manmina demanded an investigation. MP Jamil al-Sayyed noted that the state itself is negotiating with Israel. Antoine Sahnawi is a representative of a Christian banking family, head of the SGBL group. His partner Morgan Ortagus previously served as Deputy Special Representative for the Middle East.