Shebaa Farms, 'a land of no value': Why Barrack changed his tone
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L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
New pro-Trump billboard near Beirut
A new billboard featuring U.S. President Donald Trump appeared Sunday in Sin al-Fil, Beirut. Witnesses said the banner was installed on the roof of a building near the Jisr al-Wati bridge. 'We know that you love Lebanon' is written in large letters next to a smiling portrait of Trump, along with a quote from famed Lebanese writer Gibran Khalil Gibran: 'The truly great man is he who would master no one, and be mastered by none.' The phrase comes from Gibran's 1926 poetry collection Sand and Foam. Social media backlash and propaganda The billboard drew swift backlash on social media, with some users comparing it to pro-Iranian axis and Hezbollah propaganda. 'But where is Lebanese sovereignty??? Staggering. How is such a thing possible?' one user wrote. Another commented: 'Here's how you have to deal with Trump: you steer him in the desired direction using flattery.' The origin of the billboard remains unclear. Unlike other political advertisements in Lebanon, it carries no signature or dedication. This campaign is similar to the 'Mabrouk [congratulations] to Dr. Massad Boulos' posters that appeared across Lebanon in January, after Boulos — the father of Trump's Lebanese son-in-law — was appointed adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. That campaign was reportedly backed by Tony Fayad, a businessman from northern Lebanon. At the same time, other posters featuring Lebanese President Joseph Aoun with the slogan 'Make Lebanon Great Again' — echoing Trump's 2016 campaign — were displayed around Beirut for months. Since Trump took office in January, his special envoys — first Morgan Ortagus, then Tom Barrack — have made repeated visits to Lebanon, delivering U.S. demands to local authorities. These have included calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and urgent economic reforms, particularly banking sector restructuring. In a May speech at the Saudi-American Economic Forum in Riyadh, Trump said he was 'ready to help Lebanon,' praising its new leadership and advocating for a 'more productive partnership with the United States.' 'My administration is ready to help Lebanon create a future of economic development and peace with its neighbors. There are wonderful people in Lebanon — doctors, lawyers, great professionals. I hear it all the time,' Trump said.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
During a visit with Michel Aoun, Hezbollah insists Israeli withdrawal should be 'priority'
A Hezbollah delegation, led by MP Ali Fayad, was met Monday morning in Rabieh by former President Michel Aoun, where they discussed the cease-fire with Israel and disarmament, emphasizing the party's condition that Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory must precede any other discussion, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA) and al-Manar. During their meeting, the delegation and the former president discussed the "latest developments," at a time when the question of Hezbollah's arsenal is dividing Lebanon's political scene. A Cabinet meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in Baabda to discuss this issue, which has hardened the positions of the various parties in recent days. According to the NNA, those who took part in the meeting discussed "views on the implementation of the cease-fire agreement provisions," which came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, after 13 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel. The agreement, which notably calls for the group's disarmament, its total withdrawal from south of the Litani and a halt to Israeli violations, is breached daily by Israel, which conducts attacks in Lebanon and continues to occupy five positions along the border. The parties agreed on the importance of "national cohesion" in order to achieve solutions that will maintain the country's stability and security. Fayad calls for a 'unified Lebanese position' At the end of the meeting, Fayad stated, according to al-Manar, that he was "open to a resolution through the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," which serves as the basis for the truce agreement. "We must respect the sequence of measures as established in the ministerial statement, the inaugural speech, and the Lebanese document submitted to American mediator Tom Barrack," argued the Hezbollah MP, who said that "the first step must be Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories, cessation of hostilities, and release of prisoners — steps that are imperative before addressing any other issues." Denouncing an attempt to "bypass" the truce agreement, he called for a "unified and firm Lebanese position regarding Israeli withdrawal." President Joseph Aoun has in recent months favored dialogue with Hezbollah over the weapons issue. He raised his tone last week in a speech calling on the party and its base to "place their trust in the state," while calling on the party's critics, notably the Lebanese Forces, to avoid "provocations." The Lebanese Forces and their allies, as well as the United States, call for the establishment of a specific timetable for disarmament. Michel Aoun was allied with the party during his term (2016-2022) before ties grew strained between the Free Patriotic Movement – which was founded by the former president – and Hezbollah. The FPM notably strongly criticized Hezbollah's decision to open a "support front" for Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, following the deadly attack by the Palestinian movement in Israel and the start of the Israeli army's violent offensive on the enclave. Relations between the two former allies, who solidified their understanding on Feb. 6, 2006, also became tense due to Hezbollah's support for a presidential bid by Sleiman Frangieh, a well-known opponent of FPM leader and Michel Aoun's son-in-law, Gebran Bassil. After more than two years with the presidency vacant, it was finally Joseph Aoun who was elected in January 2025.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Bassil advocates (again) for only six parliamentary seats for diaspora
Free Patriotic Movement leader and MP Gebran Bassil reiterated Sunday his support for limiting the Lebanese diaspora to voting for six MPs in a separate 16th constituency, rather than allowing them to vote for all 128. Speaking at a dinner organized by the FPM's diaspora branch, Bassil said there was an effort to 'deprive Lebanese abroad of the six MPs representing the diaspora,' referring to growing calls by other political parties and independent MPs to amend the electoral law to allow the diaspora to vote based on their home constituencies in Lebanon. 'In any case, Lebanese in the diaspora have the right to vote — either in the 16th constituency or in Lebanon, in their own constituency,' Bassil said, according to local media. His comments come ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections, as debate over diaspora voting divides the political scene. One side — the FPM and the Hezbollah-Amal alliance — supports implementing the 2017 electoral law as written, which reserves six seats for diaspora MPs, but has never been enforced. The opposing side — which includes around 68 MPs from the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb, the Progressive Socialist Party, the Change Bloc, independents and others — wants to preserve the system used in 2018 and 2022 that allowed expatriates to vote based on their district of origin. A proposal submitted May 9 would eliminate the six-seat clause. Opponents of expanding the diaspora vote argue it could hurt parties like the FPM and Hezbollah, who may be losing support abroad. Hezbollah might run into difficulty campaigning, due to its classification as a terrorist organization abroad. Limiting the vote to six seats, they argue, minimizes the potential electoral impact of the diaspora. 'Constituency abroad' needed 'The electoral law granted expatriates the right to vote and to be represented, but they want to strip you of this right, just like they did with the Orthodox law,' Bassil said, referencing a failed 2013 proposal that would have allowed voters to vote for candidates of their same sect. He argued that diaspora participation would be stronger if expatriates were allowed to run and vote in their overseas constituencies. 'This law can be implemented in a way that allows expatriates to vote either in their own overseas constituency or in Lebanon, provided they are registered and present there,' Bassil said. 'It's important that expatriates have a representative who looks after their affairs, boosts voter registration, and encourages participation in elections and other national matters.' Casino du Liban director 'a political prisoner' Turning to the arrest of Casino du Liban director Roland Khoury, Bassil denounced the move as politically motivated. 'We miss you today, Roland,' Bassil said. 'Just as they're trying to build a case against you in absentia by digging through the casino files, they're searching abroad to find something to charge us with — but they won't find anything.' He claimed Khoury was arrested for combating the black market, and that casino revenues have dropped by half since his detention. 'Roland Khoury is a political prisoner until a legitimate case is found against him,' Bassil said. 'We are not afraid of an authority that imprisons the innocent.' Khoury was arrested following a June 18 State Security raid on the Casino du Liban and the offices of OMT, a private money transfer company. At least 15 people have since been detained in what appears to be a wide-ranging investigation involving figures tied to political parties, private businesses and media outlets. The case reportedly includes accusations of money laundering, embezzlement, public fund misuse, abuse of office, and illegal loans. Among those arrested are owners of illegal online gambling operations, as well as Khoury and Jad Gharios, CEO of Onlive Support System, which in 2022 signed a contract with the casino to manage the Betarabia gaming platform.
