Images generated by artificial intelligence magnify the Hebrew state, one showing a God dressed in a toga decorated with a blue Star of David and carrying a Jesus figure. (Credit: Screenshot of the MountLebanonGov X account)
Separatist, traditionalist, anti-Moumanaa (the pro-Iran axis) and pro-Zionist: this is the "future State of Mount Lebanon" promoted by the "@MountLebanonGov" account on X. This state is defined as "free, Maronite, independent and neutral, dedicated to promoting peace and forging alliances with Israel and the Mediterranean islands," as stated on the @MountLebanonGov X profile.
Every day, the account's more than 4,000 followers are inundated with messages calling on Maronite Christians, as well as the Druze, to secede from "the Sunnis of Arab lands" and "the Shiites of Jabal Amel (south Lebanon)." The account touts all the vestiges of a state: an emblem (a purple cross on a white background), an anthem (a song in Syriac) and even a "declaration of independence," in which "the undersigned representatives of the people of Mount Lebanon hereby declare the establishment of the State of Mount Lebanon on 2 March 2024, the feast day of Saint John Maron, the patron saint of the state." Coincidentally, the copy of the declaration shared on the account bears no actual signatures.
Against the backdrop of a cross-border conflict in south Lebanon that has seen near daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since Oct. 8, the account, which has been active on X, formerly Twitter, since 2021, has over the past several weeks published increasingly pro-Israel content. Referring to the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion in Lebanon, the account states that "Mount Lebanon is not ready to take part in this conflict" and that it is "a war between Israel and the state of Jabal Amel."
Among the account's published posts this month have been videos hailing the presence of Christian soldiers in the Israeli army and images generated by artificial intelligence that show a God figure dressed in a toga bearing the blue Star of David while carrying a Jesus figure wearing a crown of thorns.
The account also asks its "Israeli brothers" to "exercise caution during bombardments of the towns of Jabal Amel" to avoid explosives falling "by mistake in Mount Lebanon." Israeli strikes have killed more than 300 people and displaced nearly 100,000 in Lebanon since Oct. 8.
Several internet users speculate that the X account is managed from Israel, by an Israeli political figure or even by the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad.
The account's operators declined an invitation to meet with L'Orient-Le Jour to discuss their activities and messaging. They instead engaged with our publication via a written exchange on X's direct messaging system. The person L'Orient-Le Jour spoke to via this platform refused to reveal their identity or say whether they were the owner of the account. However, they responded to the speculation that the account is Israeli operated, claiming to be "more Lebanese" than those who leveled the allegation.
While L'Orient-Le Jour has been unable to formally identify the author of @MountLebanonGov, our investigations have revealed that the website mountlebanongov.org, which is linked to the eponymous X account, paid an American company to protect the anonymity of its owner on two occasions: on Oct. 22 October and March 20.