In US, Arab American organization prepares class action suit over Israel's destruction in Lebanon

The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) announced Monday its intention to file a class action lawsuit in U.S. federal court over the destruction caused by Israel in southern Lebanon since the beginning of the war in Lebanon.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Bint Jbeil Cultural Center in Dearborn, Michigan, home to a large Lebanese community.

League President Nasser Beydoun indicated that the action could involve any American citizen who lost property, land or investments in Lebanon "as a result of U.S. foreign policy," the main military backer of Israel.

'The United States is contributing to this destruction'

He specified that his organization was still gathering plaintiffs and assessing damages before deciding whether to file the suit in Detroit or Washington. "This isn't abstract. This isn't political rhetoric. It's real. It's a loss," Beydoun said.

For his part, ACRL founder Nabih Ayad suggested that this case could be one of the most unprecedented legal actions ever undertaken in the United States. The lawyers involved said the suit could target the U.S. State Department, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as U.S. weapons manufacturers.

ACRL believes that Washington has a legal obligation to protect its citizens and should not support foreign governments accused of human rights violations. The organization specifically cited the "Leahy Law," which restricts U.S. military aid to foreign entities involved in abuses.

Present at the event, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib accused Washington of contributing to the destruction through its military and diplomatic support for Israel. "Right now, the United States is contributing to this destruction through arms sales, the intelligence and logistics it provides, as well as diplomatic support ... Congress has the power and the duty to end this illegal invasion," she said.

Several speakers also spoke about the destruction of family homes in southern Lebanon, sometimes handed down from generation to generation, in bombings or demolitions carried out by the Israeli army since the beginning of the war on March 2, 2026.

In addition to its massive bombings in southern Lebanon and other areas, the Israeli army has been systematically demolishing houses and buildings in villages it has occupied militarily since the start of its ground invasion, following the model of its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Despite the ten-day cease-fire that came into effect on April 17, such demolitions continue in many villages included in the "buffer zone" that Tel Aviv is seeking to establish de facto north of the Blue Line.