Neemat Aoun at a reception at the Lebanese Army Officers' Club in Yarzeh. (Credit: Lebanese Army)
The new presidential couple continues to garner the sympathy of internet users. Following a filmed sequence at the Baabda Palace showing President Joseph Aoun joking with journalists, First Lady Neemat Aoun has also attracted a range of comments after another warm exchange with members of the press.
'You are part of our family'
In a two-minute video shot Tuesday at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Neemat is seen acknowledging the day's work done by journalists and speaking affectionately about the Lebanese press into the microphone of LBCI reporter Nada Andraos: "You [the journalists] are part of the people of this house. Your presence here is permanent and you witness everything that happens in this palace," she said. "You are part of our family now, tomorrow, and until the end. I hope we will continue to see each other, to greet each other."
The courtesy of Neemat and her husband towards the press has been widely praised by internet users on social media.
"I just watched the First Lady talking to the press. I saw a woman who speaks from the heart: Her simplicity, humanity and authenticity are a breath of fresh air," wrote a journalist on X.
'The essence of Lebanese women'
When asked about the role she intends to play as First Lady, the wife of the new president expressed her desire to have an image that "reflects that of all the women of Lebanon" while emphasizing the importance of "family values."
"I want to act as a Lebanese citizen, like all the women present here: the one who has a university degree, the one who has her own business, the one who is dedicated to her house, the one who raises her children ... I want nothing to do with politics. I want to be a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a friend," she said.
Usually discreet in the media and rarely making public appearances before her husband's election last Thursday, Neemat was unknown to many Lebanese. This prompted many of them to share their very positive first impressions.
"Our new First Lady is a typical Lebanese aunt, and I love it," commented an internet user.
"Humble, elegant, loving, a true First Lady...," agreed another.
Her social ascent, coming from a humble family in the neighborhood of Chiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut, was another point of praise.
"From her modest beginnings to her beautiful family, she embodies the values of hard work and represents the essence of Lebanese women, those who have worked tirelessly, raised wonderful families, and overcome the horrors of war," said another internet user.
Neemat, who will also have the responsibility of representing Lebanon on a more social and humanitarian level, sought to convey a message of hope for better days for Lebanese women: "We have gone through many worries during this period of crisis, and we are still suffering from it. If God wills, we will overcome all these concerns step by step and move away from them to become the country of prosperity again."