U.S. Envoy Sparks Outrage in Lebanon with Pro-Israel Gesture and Anti-Hezbollah Remarks
Morgan Ortagus' visit to Beirut triggers widespread condemnation after wearing a Star of David ring and calling for Hezbollah's exclusion from the Lebanese government.
Watan-The visit of Morgan Ortagus, the Deputy Envoy of the new U.S. representative for the Middle East, to Beirut sparked widespread outrage after she was seen wearing a ring bearing the Star of David during her meeting with Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun. The appearance of the ring in circulated photos was considered a deliberate provocation, especially amid rising political tensions in Lebanon.
The controversy did not stop there but escalated further after Ortagus’ statements from Baabda Palace, where she thanked Israel for what she described as the “defeat of Hezbollah” and called for the party’s exclusion from the Lebanese government. These remarks triggered a wave of widespread discontent, particularly among political and popular circles that support the resistance.
Hezbollah was quick to respond, with MP Mohammad Raad, head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, describing Ortagus’ statements as “filled with hatred and hostility,” asserting that anyone who speaks of fighting corruption should not ignore the terrorism sponsored by the United States and Israel.
For its part, the Lebanese Presidency rushed to distance itself from the statements, affirming that they reflect Ortagus’ personal views alone and are not related to the presidency in any way.
The Grand Mufti of the Jaafari Shiite sect, Ahmad Qabalan, issued a strongly worded statement condemning Ortagus’ remarks, considering them an affront to Lebanese sovereignty and the resistance. He added, “Hezbollah has not been defeated and will not be defeated, and there is no force on earth capable of eliminating it. Sovereignty belongs to Lebanon alone, not to America and Israel.”
Meanwhile, the Association of Muslim Scholars described Ortagus’ statements as “a violation of diplomatic norms and a blatant assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty,” questioning, “How can a diplomat come to a sovereign state and express joy over its enemy’s victory against it?”
The National Center in the North viewed Ortagus’ remarks as “an insult to the sacrifices of the Lebanese people” who resisted Israeli occupation. Meanwhile, protests erupted at the entrance of Beirut International Airport in rejection of what was deemed blatant U.S. interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
