US urged by Lebanese diaspora to pressure Lebanon to repeal law criminalizing ties with Israel

The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press Lebanon to repeal its 1955 Boycott Law criminalizing ties with Israel, arguing it is overextended and used to prosecute peace advocates. The group also called for military and diplomatic channels between the two countries.

The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy (AMCD) has sent an open letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging Washington to press Lebanon to repeal its 1955 Boycott Law, which criminalizes social and business ties with Israel. Lebanese American co-chairs Tom Harb and John Hajjar argue the law is being overextended beyond its original intent and is now used to criminalize basic conversations with Israelis and prevent religious pilgrimages. The letter notes that Harb himself was summoned to appear before a Lebanese military court. AMCD calls for legalizing contact between Israeli and Lebanese citizens, establishing military communication channels to prevent miscalculations, and opening diplomatic channels for peace. The group recommends conditioning US financial and military aid to Lebanon on the law's repeal and on concrete steps toward communication with Israel, and imposing sanctions on Lebanese bodies that prosecute peaceful contact with Israelis.