Beirut MP Ibrahim Mneimneh. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The Beirut MP, Ibrahim Mneimeh, published a "clarification statement" on Wednesday in response to allegations published the previous day on MTV's website claiming he had ties with the son of Hungarian-born Jewish American billionaire George Soros, Alexander Soros.
Holding one of the Sunni seats of Beirut II, he accused the channel of publishing "a false piece of news" against him, which he claims is "part of a methodical campaign to flood the media space with lies." "We categorically affirm that the elements reported in this article are entirely fabricated ... This campaign is conducted to damage our reputation and serve political objectives that are now clear to everyone," he wrote on his X account.
'Dinner between Lebanese, American personalities'
In its article published Tuesday, Lebanese media channel MTV claimed to have evidence proving these links attributed to the MP from the protest movement. Without specifying its source, the article claims that Alexander Soros contacted a "Lebanese residing in the United States" to organize a "dinner bringing together Lebanese and American personalities," asking her to invite Mneimneh to the event. "This intervention is further evidence of a close link between Soros and certain Lebanese MPs, whom he allegedly supports politically and financially," the article continues, accusing the businessman of having an "agenda" in Lebanon, likely to worsen the country's economic and financial situation."
"We have no personal or contact links with the mentioned person [Alexander Soros]," the MP retorted. He explained that his recent presence in the United States was as part of "a public dinner organized by the American Task Force for Lebanon [ATFL], attended by Arab-American community figures, Lebanese-origin American Congress members and Lebanese MPs of various orientations," he wrote. He added, "This false campaign will not divert us from our commitment to financial and political reforms, which we consider the only way to protect society and its interests against the cartels that have destroyed the country and its economy."
This is not the first time the channel, owned by the Murr family, has made such accusations, especially of ties with the Soros family, against political figures from the protest movement or Lebanese organizations that have taken critical positions against the banking lobby and supported political and economic reforms.
Last month, ahead of municipal elections, Mneimneh and MPs Paula Yacoubian and Melhem Khalaf were openly criticized for their "inaction" on the channel's "Lel Watan" show. Presenter Mariam Majdoline Laham, known for controversies, then led a campaign against the "Beirut Madinati 2025" list, supported by these three parliamentarians.
'Agents of Soros'
Additionally, the think tank Kulluna Irada (KI) and online media outlets Megaphone and Daraj have also been accused of ties with the Soros clan. Regularly targeted by MTV show presenters, these three entities are currently being sued by the Société Générale du Liban (SGBL) bank's owner, Antoun Sehnawi, who this week filed a new series of legal proceedings against several journalists from Daraj after the publication of reports accusing him of "money laundering."
In 2019, during the Oct. 17 protests, a campaign titled "Agents of Soros" launched on social media had already suggested ties between the electronic media and the American billionaire. He is regularly accused by various opinion channels close to the banking lobby of secretly funding actors from the popular protest movement for a "foreign interest agenda." Daraj was already one of the media institutions targeted by this campaign.
On its website, George Soros' foundation network, named "Open Society Foundations," states it has been undertaking projects in Lebanon since 2001 and supports "independent organizations promoting the rule of law, arts and culture, gender equality and media independence." Most of the entities it claims to fund in the Arab world are based in Beirut, according to it.
Opposed to Donald Trump and loathed by ultra-conservative circles in the United States, he is regularly the target of attacks with anti-Semitic undertones. George Soros started creating a network of foundations in the 1980s, investing worldwide for various causes, from economic and justice reforms to minority and refugee rights and freedom of expression, before handing over control of his empire to his son, Alexander Soros, in 2023.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
