Abuses of law on collaboration with Israel stopped, not its application, says Minister

BEIRUT — A statement regarding the application of the Israel boycott law made by Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar during an interview with TV channel al-Hurra on Sunday evening sparked a range of reactions, with some against and others in favor. Anti-normalization activists were critical, while the pro-normalization camp praised his comments. However, both sides seem to be basing their arguments on an erroneous version of the actual quote in question.

Those critical of Nassar's comment accused him of saying that he has been ensuring that no one who violates the law on collaboration with Israel gets summoned for questioning.

Nassar was asked about his views on the fact that some Lebanese judges were exploiting the law on the boycott of Israel to restrict freedom of expression. He stated that "this climate may have prevailed before the formation of Nawaf Salam's government" a year ago. However, according to him, in recent months, "any potential summons is immediately dealt with, and several activists have noticed that the approach has changed, so that there is no abuse under the guise of this law or any other." The minister added: "I personally ensure that there is no misinterpretation of this law or any other."

This quote was misinterpreted by some to make it seem like he was saying he would "personally ensure that no one is prosecuted for violating the law" on the boycott of Israel.

On X, an internet user named Ahmad Hamiyeh denounced these as "very dangerous remarks." In contrast, U.S.-Lebanese lobbyist Tom Harb, who is close to President Donald Trump, praised Nassar's "great initiative." "He is personally blocking investigations into anyone who talks to Israelis. This creates real space for necessary dialogue. Lebanon and Israel share too much to continue criminalizing conversation," the lobbyist wrote.

When contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour on Monday, the Justice Minister insisted that he never made the comments attributed to him. "What has ceased are the abuses" of this law, not "its application or non-application," he stressed.

The 1955 Lebanese law on the boycott of Israel prohibits any interaction between Lebanese and Israelis. It prohibits any individual or legal entity from contacting Israelis or persons residing in Israel. It also prohibits all commercial, financial, and other transactions. The penalty for violating this law is three to ten years of hard labor. But in recent years, it has been invoked on several occasions to accuse, summon, and even imprison activists opposed to Hezbollah or former President Michel Aoun.