The joint parliamentary committees met at Place de l'Étoile on May 4, 2026. (Credit: Ali Fawaz/Lebanese Parliament)
Lebanese in Israel could find themselves at the center of a political battle in the coming weeks, particularly in the context of ongoing efforts to pass a general amnesty law.At a time when Sunni leaders are pushing for the release of so-called “Islamist” detainees, Christian officials are working to ensure that the amnesty also applies to Lebanese who have been living in Israel since the Israeli withdrawal in 2000.They are bringing this issue back to the forefront amid international — particularly U.S. — pressure to break the ice between Lebanon and Israel in order to end the ongoing war.After Israel’s withdrawal in May 2000, many Lebanese — particularly Christians and Shiites who were members of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) (a pro-Israeli force founded in 1976 by Saad Haddad, a Lebanese Army officer who defected) — fled to Israel out...
Lebanese in Israel could find themselves at the center of a political battle in the coming weeks, particularly in the context of ongoing efforts to pass a general amnesty law.At a time when Sunni leaders are pushing for the release of so-called “Islamist” detainees, Christian officials are working to ensure that the amnesty also applies to Lebanese who have been living in Israel since the Israeli withdrawal in 2000.They are bringing this issue back to the forefront amid international — particularly U.S. — pressure to break the ice between Lebanon and Israel in order to end the ongoing war.After Israel’s withdrawal in May 2000, many Lebanese — particularly Christians and Shiites who were members of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) (a pro-Israeli force founded in 1976 by Saad Haddad, a Lebanese Army officer who defected) — fled...
