AI, not Joseph Aoun: 'Labayka ya Lebnen' video causes controversy

BEIRUT — A video generated by artificial intelligence of President Joseph Aoun went viral on social media, falsely attributing statements made about the Shiite community to him.

In the video published by the channel of unknown origin, “Make Lebanon Great Again,” the depiction of Aoun says, “I want to address our brothers in the dear Shiite community. The Iranian regime will sacrifice you for its interests. Think carefully and be loyal to Lebanon, the state, whose duty is to protect you. To preserve the country, we must remain neutral.”

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Who’s behind the ‘Make Lebanon Great Again’ videos and ads?

The 20-second video ends with him saying “Labayka ya Lebnen.” While it translates literally to "At your service, Lebanon," the sentence uses the same wording as a popular Hezbollah chant, said in support of former leader Hassan Nasrallah — “Labayka ya Nasrallah” (“At your service, Nasrallah”).

The video is presented as an address to the Shiite community, who once again face heavy Israeli attacks and displacement in south Lebanon, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut since the Israeli escalation launched Monday.

“Make Lebanon Great Again” channel, a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's “Make America Great Again,” has been posting short AI-generated videos of Lebanese politicians since Aoun’s election in January 2025. It notably floods YouTube and other social media ads with its clips, usually promoting political messages in favor of "Lebanese sovereignty" and often mocking Iran and Hezbollah.

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The videos feature several Lebanese political figures, including Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Hezbollah officials such as current Secretary-General Naim Qassem, as well as members of the Iranian leadership, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“Neither the presidency nor its press office is concerned with these videos or their source,” an official source at Baabda Presidential Palace told L’Orient-Le Jour in July, adding that “they see them like everyone else” and do not know who is behind them.

“We have no control over them, neither in form or content,” the source said.