Category: Statement

Washington, DC, July 17, 2024. The intensifying cross-border skirmishes and escalating rhetoric between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel are increasing the risks of a full-fledged conflagration. In such a scenario, unwanted by the majority of Lebanese, both sides are likely to inflict significant pain on each other, with catastrophic consequences for Lebanon. War will, moreover, almost certainly activate Iran and its proxies against US targets, setting the region on fire. The US would inevitably be drawn into direct confrontation with Tehran, which would be costly and jeopardize US interests in the region.

The US today is, realistically, the only actor that can convince Israel not to engage in a wider war for which it has outlined a diplomatic solution. Horrendous and gratuitous attacks like the Israeli bombing of a 600-year old monastery in South Lebanon will only serve to erode Lebanese public opinion. The Lebanese people and their leaders must amplify their opposition to Hezbollah’s involvement in a destructive war, and the international community must heed these calls in earnest.

ATFL calls on the Biden administration to redouble its efforts to negotiate a sustainable agreement between Lebanon and Israel that leads to the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s forces from the border and its replacement with the combination of international and bolstered Lebanese armed forces. To ensure a lasting settlement, the US should commit to facilitating negotiations on the demarcation of the land border between the two nations and commit to international support for the rebuilding of the South. Without a major diplomatic breakthrough, the situation will continue to fester and could erupt into a far deadlier war than the one raging since October 7.

Washington, DC, June 7, 2024. The American Task Force on Lebanon, a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, applauds Senator Gary Peters and 16 of his Senate colleagues for their letter that urges the Biden-Harris Administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Lebanese nationals present in the US.

As the letter notes, “designating Lebanon for TPS would enable Lebanese nationals currently in the United States, including students, tourists, and workers, to be able to remain safely in the United States and to work legally to support themselves and their families” and that this would benefit 12,000 eligible individuals currently present in the US.

Given the current hostilities in the region adding to the economic, humanitarian, and political crises afflicting the country, Lebanon is a prime candidate for a TPS designation.

ATFL extends our deepest gratitude to Senator Gary Peters for leading this letter and to the Senators who signed it:

Richard J. Durbin
Debbie Stabenow
Edward J. Markey
Patty Murray
Alex Padilla
Tammy Duckworth
Raphael Warnock
Mark R. Warner
Peter Welch
Cory A. Booker
Jeanne Shaheen
Jack Reed
Brian Schatz
Chris Van Hollen
Mazie K. Hirono
Benjamin Cardin

Washington, DC, June 3, 2024. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) welcomes the prospect of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and hopes that this will reflect positively on the situation in southern Lebanon. We expect a truce will help save Palestinian, Israeli, and Lebanese lives and pave the way for the restoration of needed stability in the region.

We also look forward to a cessation of hostilities in south Lebanon and an enduring settlement that spares Lebanon from devastating conflict in the next phase and restores the Lebanese state’s sovereignty and control over national institutions.

The only path forward to durable security, peace, and self-determination comes from diplomacy. The United States needs to redouble its mediated efforts to deescalate the fighting and bring calm to the Lebanon-Israel border where Hezbollah continues to attack, and which could fuel a broader regional conflict drawing in the United States directly.

Efforts to stabilize this border longer-term must be as envisaged by UN Resolution 1701 and involve the demarcation of disputed border areas. Given the urgency of consolidating the authority of the Lebanese armed forces and state security institutions over Lebanon’s territory, US mediation should continue to underscore to Lebanon’s political leaders the critical importance of a nationally oriented resolution of Lebanon’s political paralysis, starting with the election of an independent and reform-minded president.

Washington, DC, May 30, 2024. The recent deadly attacks and counterattacks on the Lebanon-Israel border, eight months after Hamas’s October 7 attack, are reaching a new level of intensity. Lebanon continues to suffer from compounding and interlinked political, economic, and social crises and can ill-afford the devastation that would accompany war with Israel.

We decry the recent provocations and call for restraint on all sides. We are further concerned about Israel’s continued use, in violation of international humanitarian law, of phosphorous bombs in South Lebanon that are causing potentially irreversible damage to the environment and agriculture, making these areas uninhabitable and impeding the livelihoods of its citizens. Over 90,000 of them have been forced to flee the region since the beginning of the Gaza war.

We urge all parties to take every step possible to end hostilities, protect civilians who are at risk as the conflict expands, and find a sustainable agreement that brings long-term stability to the Israel-Lebanon border.

The recent deadly attacks and counterattacks on the Lebanon-Israel border, eight months after Hamas’s October 7 attack, are reaching a new level of intensity. Lebanon continues to suffer from compounding and interlinked political, economic, and social crises and can ill-afford the devastation that would accompany war with Israel.

We decry the recent provocations and call for restraint on all sides. We are further concerned about Israel’s continued use, in violation of international humanitarian law, of phosphorous bombs in South Lebanon that are causing potentially irreversible damage to the environment and agriculture, making these areas uninhabitable and impeding the livelihoods of its citizens. Over 90,000 of them have been forced to flee the region since the beginning of the Gaza war.

We urge all parties to take every step possible to end hostilities, protect civilians who are at risk as the conflict expands, and find a sustainable agreement that brings long-term stability to the Israel-Lebanon border.

On the anniversary of Lebanon’s presidential vacuum, the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, calls on Lebanon’s leadership to immediately elect a president. Today marks the one-year anniversary that Lebanon has been facing a complete executive vacuum since former President Michel Aoun vacated Baabda Palace following a six-year term in office.

This vacancy has impeded any solutions to reverse the large-scale economic and social collapse, which the World Bank has identified as one of the worst economic crises since the mid-nineteenth century.

Despite calls from the international community for the Lebanese authorities to enact economic reforms and chart a path towards recovery, no progress has taken place on this front. Furthermore, Lebanon has failed to elect a president after no less than twelve parliamentary sessions, plunging the country into further uncertainty.

On this anniversary, now is the time for all Lebanese factions represented in parliament to urgently compromise and find consensus around a presidential candidate who is competent, reform-minded, and committed to addressing the needs of the people.

“The possibility that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to Lebanon is all the more reason for parliament to come together now and elect a president,” said ATFL President Ed Gabriel. “Lebanon needs a reform-oriented president who can speak with authority and on behalf of the Lebanese people that Lebanon will remain neutral and not involve itself in regional wars, and also deliver on needed reforms to begin Lebanon’s economic recovery,” he added.

The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) condemns Hamas’ horrendous attack on Israel on October 7th, including the mass killing and abduction of Israeli citizens. Israel’s subsequent imposition of a siege on Gaza, in response to the terrorist attack, must now stop: it endangers the lives of innocent civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival and compounds an already dire humanitarian situation. We urge both parties to deescalate the situation by, among other measures, ceasing hostilities and releasing hostages and prisoners. We call on all parties to respect international law.

Instead of the continuation of this war, US leadership needs to chart more forcefully a path towards Palestinian statehood, and press for more lasting peace between Israel and Palestine within a two-state solution framework. It is now time for the United States to lead with a sense of determination and equity. 

ATFL’s mission is to enhance the US-Lebanon bilateral relationship. It is in this regard that we call on Hezbollah to refrain from any further aggression that would escalate the conflict with Israel. Any such action risks the longstanding relationship between the United States and Lebanon. Lebanese authorities must demand that Hezbollah and others avoid inflaming the situation and not subject Lebanon any further to regional conflicts. Hezbollah should also understand that they will be held responsible by the Lebanese people and international community for any resulting physical destruction and innocent Lebanese casualties if they instigate hostile action on the Lebanon-Israel border.

Finally, we applaud the appointment of Ambassador David Satterfield as Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues.  We hope that his leadership will prompt a renewed focus on Lebanon, which has faced a massive influx of Syrian refugees due to the ongoing civil war in Syria. Lebanon currently hosts the largest number of refugees on a per capita basis of any country in the world and, as such, is experiencing additional economic distress. Ambassador Satterfield’s responsibilities should include helping alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, in addition to his responsibilities with regard to the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

ATFL stands ready to facilitate a common understanding between the United States and Lebanon that both protects Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and leads to a cessation of hostilities in the region.  

With Lebanon facing unprecedented economic and humanitarian crises, its people do not want to be drawn into another war. Lebanese authorities need to demand unequivocally that Hezbollah refrain from further provocative actions that endanger the lives of Lebanese citizens and risk drawing Lebanon into another full-fledged war.

Three years ago, Lebanon experienced the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. The Beirut port blast killed over 220 people and injured thousands of others. 

ATFL remains steadfast in its support of the victims and their families of the port explosion who demand a just investigation. The Lebanese people and the international community have been calling for accountability for those responsible for storing a large amount of ammonium nitrate that detonated at the port. Three years later, there has yet to be a complete investigation and those responsible remain shielded by a politically compromised judicial process. It is time that those responsible, at all levels of government, be brought to justice.

This anniversary comes at the backdrop of a grinding economic and social collapse, and amidst a presidential vacuum and political paralysis. ATFL hopes this solemn anniversary will inspire Lebanon’s political leaders to finally unite in addressing the urgent demands of the Lebanese people.

We continue to champion a vision for a Lebanon that is democratic, pluralistic, prosperous, and sovereign. We know what this anniversary means to the Lebanese people. ATFL, together with the Lebanese American community, has been engaged with policymakers here in Washington, DC to encourage the United States to play a leading role in bringing justice to the victims of the port blast and in Lebanon’s recovery.

Washington, DC, June 15th, 2023. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, welcomes Lebanon’s parliamentary session yesterday to elect a president. However, in spite of a promise to keep the session open by Speaker Berri, it adjourned prematurely, yet again denying the Lebanese people a functioning government capable of undertaking the reforms necessary to rescue the country from its current financial and political crises.   
 
We call on the Lebanese Parliament and all political actors to support a candidate for president who is free of corruption, capable of uniting the country, advocating for transparency and accountability, putting the interests of Lebanon’s people first, moving towards national unity, and implementing critical economic reforms.
 
Over the last several weeks, three bipartisan Congressional letters from senior US Senators and Representatives have also outlined their grave concerns over the lack of progress in electing the nation’s next president, calling for parliamentary leaders to not only open a legislative session to elect a president but also to keep it open through multiple rounds of voting in order to elect a president by majority vote. 
 
On April 25th, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Jim Risch (R-ID), said, “We remain discouraged by the ongoing political deadlock, engineered by Hezbollah and its allies, like Nabih Berri, to wear down the opposition to its preferred candidate at the expense of candidates with broader support who are more willing to tackle Lebanon’s many challenges.” 
 
On May 30th, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), said, “We also call on the Administration to use all available authorities, including additional targeted sanctions on specific individuals contributing to corruption and impeding progress in the country, to make clear to Lebanon’s political class that the status quo is not acceptable.”  
 
On June 12th, the Co-Chairs of the bipartisan US-Lebanon Friendship Caucus, Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), wrote, “If Parliamentary leaders and other political elites are unable to follow through on Lebanon’s own constitution, preserve a quorum, and allow the multiple rounds of balloting necessary for the selection of a president, the United States and our partners and allies in the region, must consider more serious measures.”  
 
The Biden Administration also made clear their position, when State Department Under Secretary Nuland tweeted, “(I) had a constructive call with Lebanese Speaker Berri about the urgency of electing a president and enacting legislation on critically needed IMF reforms. (I) appreciate his commitment to try to keep quorum and hold open electoral sessions as long as it takes to get the job done.” 
 
ATFL President Ed Gabriel remarked, “We welcome Speaker Berri’s decision to hold a vote, but it appears he did not fulfill his commitment to Under Secretary Nuland to both open a session and hold it open for as long as it takes to get the job done. It is disappointing that the process of electing a president appears to be no closer to a resolution.”