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L'Orient-Le Jour
20 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
3 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Received by Patriarch John X of Antioch, Egypt's ambassador to Lebanon condemns Mar Elias church attack in Damascus
Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch on Saturday received the ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Alaa Moussa, and his wife at the patriarchal headquarters in Balamand, our correspondent in northern Lebanon reports. During the meeting, the diplomat condemned the deadly attack carried out in June against the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which he described as a "heinous crime." He also stressed that the launch of an "inclusive political process" in Syria, bringing together all components, is the way to restore and guarantee stability, according to a statement. The patriarch praised Egypt's historic role in the Arab world, highlighting its current role under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. On Friday, the ambassador congratulated President Joseph Aoun on his speech delivered the previous day on the occasion of Army Day, stressing the role of the military in maintaining "stability and sovereignty," following a meeting with the head of state at the Baabda Palace.
Ya Libnan
3 days ago
- Ya Libnan
President Aoun says Lebanon determined to disarm Hezbollah
Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that he was determined to disarm Hezbollah, a step it has come under heavy US pressure to take, despite the group's protests that doing so would serve Israeli goals. Hezbollah and Israel fought a two-month war last year that left the militant group badly weakened, though it retains part of its arsenal. Israel has kept up its air strikes on Hezbollah targets despite a November ceasefire, and has threatened to continue them until the group has been disarmed. In a speech on Thursday, Aoun said Beirut was demanding 'the extension of the Lebanese state's authority over all its territory, the removal of weapons from all armed groups including Hezbollah and their handover to the Lebanese army'. He added it was every politician's duty 'to seize this historic opportunity and push without hesitation towards affirming the army and security forces' monopoly on weapons over all Lebanese territory… in order to regain the world's confidence'. Under the November ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border. Israel was meant to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic. The truce was based on a two-decade-old UN Security Council resolution that said only the Lebanese military and UN peacekeepers should possess weapons in the country's south, and that all non-state groups should be disarmed. However, that resolution went unfulfilled for years, with Hezbollah's arsenal before the latest war seen as far superior to the army's, and the group wielding extensive political influence. Aoun took over the presidency in January ending a two-year vacancy — his election by lawmakers made possible in part by the shifting balance of power in the wake of the conflict. On Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem , who fled to Tehran last October said that 'anyone calling today for the surrender of weapons, whether internally or externally, on the Arab or the international stage, is serving the Israeli project'. He accused US envoy Tom Barrack, who has visited Lebanon several times in recent months, of using 'intimidation and threats' in his talks with senior officials with the aim of 'aiding Israel'. Collapse or stability Israel has carried out near daily strikes in Lebanon in recent months, targeting what it says are Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but the group has refrained from striking back. Israel launched several strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in the south and east on Thursday, targeting what it said were sites used by Hezbollah to manufacture and store missiles. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the targets included 'Hezbollah's biggest precision missile manufacturing site', and the military said it had hit 'infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons' in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. In his speech, Aoun said Lebanon was at 'a crucial stage that does not tolerate any sort of provocation from any side'. 'For the thousandth time, I assure you that my concern in having a (state) weapons monopoly comes from my concern to defend Lebanon's sovereignty and borders, to liberate the occupied Lebanese territories and build a state that welcomes all its citizens,' he said, addressing Hezbollah's supporters as an 'essential pillar' of society. Lebanon has proposed modifications to 'ideas' submitted by the United States on Hezbollah's disarmament, Aoun added, and a plan would be discussed at a cabinet meeting next week to 'establish a timetable for implementation'. Aoun also demanded the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the release of Lebanese prisoners and 'an immediate cessation of Israeli hostilities'. 'Today, we must choose between collapse and stability,' he said. Hezbollah is the only group that held on to its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of 'resistance' against Israel, which occupied south Lebanon until 2000. Lebanon has also committed to disarming Palestinian militant groups that control the country's refugee camps. A huge Burden for Lebanon Hezbollah's actions and influence are widely seen as a significant burden on Lebanon, contributing to the country's instability and economic hardship. The organization's military activities, particularly its conflict with Israel, have had devastating consequences for Lebanon, including displacement, casualties, and economic losses. Additionally, Hezbollah's political dominance and resistance to international involvement in Lebanon's economic crisis further exacerbate the situation. Here's a breakdown of why Hezbollah is considered a burden: 1. Military Conflict and Instability: 2. Economic Impact: 3. Political Obstacles: 4. Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis: In summary, Hezbollah's military activities, political influence, and resistance to international involvement have significantly contributed to Lebanon's instability, economic hardship, and humanitarian crisis France24/AFP/ YL
