Lebanon issues search notice over Sehnaoui’s Netanyahu dinner

Lebanon’s Public Prosecutor has issued a 30-day search and investigation notice against banker Antoun Sehnaoui, following a technical examination of a photograph showing him with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. The examination reportedly found the image to be authentic and unedited. The move follows legal complaints accusing Sehnaoui of dealing with the Israeli enemy and violating Lebanon’s Israel boycott law.

The development adds to a series of controversies and legal files linked to Sehnaoui in recent years. Since the start of Lebanon’s financial crisis in 2019, he has faced widespread criticism as one of the country’s most prominent bankers. His name has also appeared in investigations and legal claims involving banking practices and financial transfers, though none has resulted in a final conviction against him.

Sehnaoui returned to the centre of controversy last April after attending a Holocaust remembrance event in Washington alongside Morgan Ortagus and publishing photographs from the occasion.