Members of the Lebanese army drive a military vehicle during a media visit organized by the Lebanese army to observe the army's operations in the southern Litani sector, in Alma Al-Chaab. Photo AFP
A man convicted of collaborating with Israel was forced to leave the village of Arzay (Saida district) in South Lebanon under pressure from residents, two days after his release from prison, our correspondent in the area reports. Convicted in 2022 and sentenced to five years for “contact and online communication” with Israelis, he served three years of his term before being freed.
His return sparked a wave of protest, driven largely by local youths on social media, who warned him against appearing in public or moving around the village.
“We, the youth of the village, do not forget and do not forgive — especially those who betrayed us from within. The man who returned was a municipal police officer responsible for residents’ safety, yet he betrayed his duty and sold out his village to the enemy,” said a statement released Friday by a group calling itself the “Young Resisters of Arzay.” “We state clearly: this person is absolutely not welcome… he has no place among us — not in the neighborhood, not at the café, not in the market. This village is ours, not for those who sold it.”
The protests continued for two days until the man’s family ultimately yielded to public pressure and left the village.
Contacted by our correspondent, Arzay municipal council president Ali Akkouch said the “matter is now closed.”
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