Lebanon seeks arrest of businessman accused of meeting Netanyahu

Lebanese judicial authorities issued a warrant Wednesday seeking the arrest of influential businessman Antoun Sehnaoui accused of meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid Israel's war on Lebanon. A Lebanese judicial source told AFP that prosecutor and judge Ahmad Rami had issued a 30-day wanted notice for Sehnaoui "on charges of dealing with the Israeli enemy and violating Lebanon's boycott law against Israel". Lebanese law criminalises contact with Israel, despite the countries beginning direct talks under US sponsorship in April. Axios journalist Barak Ravid had reported that, on Monday night in Washington, Sehnaoui and former US envoy Morgan Ortagus hosted a dinner attended by high-profile officials including Netanyahu. An accompanying photo showing Sehnaoui, a Lebanese Christian, and Netanyahu at the same table sparked uproar on social media in Lebanon across the political spectrum. The judicial official said that several lawyers had also submitted a report demanding "the prosecution of Sehnaoui for crimes related to dealing with Israel and communicating with Netanyahu". The prosecutor is to examine the matter and decide whether to refer it to the military court.