Lebanese lawyers have filed a lawsuit against banker Antoun Sehnaoui after he hosted a Washington dinner attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing Lebanon’s anti-normalization laws.
A legal complaint against Lebanese banker Antoun Sehnaoui has intensified debate over Lebanon’s strict anti-Israel laws after he hosted a Washington dinner attended by Benjamin Netanyahu.
WEBDESK – SHARJAH NEWS
BEIRUT: A group of Lebanese lawyers has filed a lawsuit against prominent banker Antoun Sehnaoui, accusing him of violating Lebanon’s anti-normalization laws after he hosted a dinner in Washington attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The complaint was submitted to Lebanon’s Court of Cassation, with lawyers arguing that Sehnaoui’s meeting with Netanyahu breached a 1955 law that prohibits Lebanese citizens and residents from engaging in direct or indirect contact with Israeli nationals or institutions. Violations of the law can carry prison sentences.
Leading the legal action, lawyer Maan Alasaad said the case seeks to uphold Lebanon’s legal framework prohibiting contact with Israelis.
“By law, any communication of any kind, any meeting directly or indirectly with any person who has an Israeli passport, is illegal,” Alasaad said, adding that the legal team would challenge what they described as a violation of the country’s constitution and laws.
The controversy stems from a memorial dinner held in Washington on July 27 in honor of late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. The event was hosted by Sehnaoui and his partner, former U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus, and was attended by Netanyahu and his wife, according to media reports.
Images and reports of the gathering quickly spread on social media, triggering widespread criticism in Lebanon, where Israel remains officially designated as an enemy state and diplomatic relations do not exist.
Alasaad described Sehnaoui’s actions as “highly disgraceful,” arguing that hosting Netanyahu was particularly controversial given the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon, repeated cross-border hostilities, and Israel’s continued military operations in parts of southern Lebanon.
Political reactions also followed. A Hezbollah official alleged that Sehnaoui has maintained close ties with Israeli figures and claimed he represents Israeli interests in Lebanon. The allegations have not been independently verified, and Sehnaoui has not publicly responded to the lawsuit or the accusations.
Sehnaoui, chairman of Societe Generale de Banque au Liban (SGBL), has lived outside Lebanon for several years and has previously expressed support for establishing diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Israel.
The lawsuit comes as Sehnaoui and SGBL continue to face separate legal scrutiny related to Lebanon’s financial crisis. Lebanese prosecutors have previously filed charges against the banker and the bank over alleged money laundering linked to currency trading during the country’s economic collapse, allegations that both Sehnaoui and the bank have denied.
Lebanon’s financial crisis, which erupted in 2019, has been described by the World Bank as one of the world’s worst economic collapses in modern history. The crisis has been widely attributed to years of financial mismanagement, corruption, and unsustainable economic policies, leaving millions of Lebanese struggling with severe economic hardship.
The latest legal action adds another layer of controversy surrounding one of Lebanon’s most prominent bankers while highlighting the continued political and legal sensitivity of any contact with Israeli officials under Lebanese law.
