ALPAC

America Lebanon Peace Advancement Council

A Bold New Vision for U.S.–Lebanon Relations

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

US-Lebanon relations have a new voice in Washington! A voice born from recent setbacks of #Iran and #Hezbollah , calling for a partnership in the form of a defense pact with #Lebanon that yields peace, security, reform, prosperity, and a revival of the vulnerable #LebaneseChristian community.

An independent and free voice. An honest voice about why Lebanon is important to the safety of our citizens and to America's regional interests in prosperity and in a lasting peace.

@ALPAC_Org makes the case that Lebanon indeed matters to our short term calculus. We also argue that America, a nation founded on Christian moral values cannot and should not abandon the last remaining Christians in the land where #Jesus walked.

Without the Christians, there is no Lebanon and without peace in Lebanon, there will not be peace in the Middle East.

Now is the time to act! Please Join us with your voice and your support.

[Alberto Miguel Fernandez @AlbertoMiguelF5]

Separating the Lebanon/Hezbollah file as far as possible from the Iran question is very much in the U.S. interest.

[U.S. State Dept - Near Eastern Affairs @StateDept_NEA]

Condemnation of Hizballah’s Reckless Call to Overthrow Lebanese Government 
https://t.co/0BkuBSDhsM

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

Lebanon will never have a better friend than the United States. @POTUS and Senior US State Department officials told us directly that they want to fix the situation in Lebanon. Those in Lebanon who want peace and stability, especially Christians inside and outside the government must step up and publicly ask for a defense pact with the US. It is the best hope to save Lebanon. @TbaakliniToufic @Fouad_Arbid

[Secretary Marco Rubio @SecRubio]

The U.S. stands firmly with the legitimate Government of Lebanon as it works to restore its authority and build a better future for all its people. Hizballah's threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed. The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

@POTUS, please keep the Lebanon-Israel peace track separate from the Iran deal, with one important exception: A portion of the Iranian frozen funds should be distributed by @SecRubio to American NGOs for reparations to lebanese Christians who suffered from Iran's proxy war in Lebanon @TbaakliniToufic @Fouad_Arbid

[The White House @WhiteHouse]

🚨 "An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed..." - President Donald J. Trump

[Alberto Miguel Fernandez @AlbertoMiguelF5]

Hezbollah propagandists follow this perverse tactic: inside Lebanon they constantly attack Christians, diminish their presence and power. Outside Lebanon, they use Christian symbols and sites to attack Israel and to falsely portray themselves as defenders of Christians.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

Why not?

[Fouad Arbid @Fouad_Arbid]

@LBCI_NEWS I suggest Ambassador Issa and the Trump administration invite the Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams to meet at the @usembassybeirut in Aoukar to resume direct talks. This would send a different message to the enemies of peace, whoever they may be.

[Fouad Arbid @Fouad_Arbid]

US Ambassador Issa makes perfect sense and in a Lebanese tongue to boot. @LBpresidency Aoun should be honored he was invited by President @realDonaldTrump and should want to come to @WhiteHouse to state Lebanon's case for peace on the highest stage in the world. Not doing so is a missed opportunity.

[Fouad Arbid @Fouad_Arbid]

The Palestinians were never held to account for what they did to Lebanon. Their leadership never apologized or took responsibility for the atrocities they committed. Although their military power in Lebanon was destroyed in 1982 by Israel, they effectively created the vacuum that Iran and Assad filled with Hezbollah. The Christians of Lebanon have been paying the price of a good deed for more than 70 years.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

ALPAC commeds Ambassador Michel Issa on his consistent and steady efforts to advance peace in Lebanon. His keen understanding of Lebanon's nuanced issues is palpable. ALPAC and the Lebanese Americans fully support his vision for peace and the need for a direct meeting between the principals, President Aoun and PM Netanyahu in Washington. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9

[U.S. Embassy Beirut @usembassybeirut]

Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation. 

Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should have never been at war, can mark the beginning of a national revival. The extended Cessation of Hostilities, achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States Government. 

A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States.

This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny, one which belongs to all its people. The United States is ready to stand with Lebanon as it seizes this opportunity with confidence and wisdom. The time for hesitation is over.

[Fouad Arbid @Fouad_Arbid]

The Christians of Lebanon are not anyone's punching bag, regardless of the aggressors' religion or nationality.

Time to organize neighborhood watches to support municipal police in all Christian areas, especially urban and suburban areas.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

@AsafDay112810 @IDF @realDonaldTrump @SecRubio The cross with the statue of Jesus was replaced by the Italians. Good for the village of Debel.
And glad to see justice served on the soldiers and not delayed. Good on their commanders.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

True, all of it. There is a real opportunity for LB President Aoun @LBpresidency to meet this moment of American interest and focus. Take up President @realDonaldTrump's offer to facilitate the peace dialogue with Israel. It starts with a formal US-Lebanon counterterrorism and security agreement to reform and backstop the LAF, followed by sanctioning the same old obstacles to peace: Hezbollah, Berri, Joumblatt, and their Christian and Sunni allies, all of them.

[Department of State @StateDept]

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We have a good relationship with Lebanon. The amazing thing is they actually have sort of a good relationship with Israel, they just don’t deal with each other.

But now they are going to deal with each other. We are going to help them.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

US policy in Lebanon was never imperialist. The past is prologue, and now President @realDonaldTrump has a real chance to make history by achieving peace and giving Lebanon a chance to be great again.

[Hicham Bou Nassif @Hbounassif]

Thousands of declassified American diplomatic documents make understanding the 1983 U.S.–Syria duel in Lebanon possible. Contrary to the facile accusations of the Syrian/Iranian axis and its allies in the 1980s (e.g., Hezbollah, Berri, Jumblatt, etc.), Ronald Reagan meant well in Lebanon. In a nutshell, his policy had three objectives at the time:

1. Secure the withdrawal of Syrian, Israeli, and Palestinian forces;
2. Foster national reconciliation among Lebanon’s bickering factions to end the civil war;
3. Build a strong central state with a capable Lebanese Army in control of the country’s territory.

There was nothing sinister in Reagan's agenda—no “imperialist” plot against Lebanon. Nothing U.S. officials pursued at the time ran contrary to basic Lebanese interests.

Why did Reagan's Lebanon policy fail despite the obvious imbalance of power between America and Syria? The reasons are complex, but one deserves special emphasis: Lebanon mattered far more to Syria than it did to the United States. Washington could afford to abandon the Lebanese file once it became too costly. To win, all Syria needed was not to lose. In practice, this meant unleashing Hezbollah against the U.S. Marines and mobilizing Jumblatt and Berri against the American-backed Lebanese government—then waiting for U.S. fatigue. The strategy worked. Robert C. McFarlane, Philip Habib's successor as Reagan’s envoy, understood Syria’s approach from the outset. He urged combining diplomacy with credible military pressure so Assad would understand that the United States meant business. But McFarlane was thwarted by a Pentagon that had little appetite for deeper involvement in Lebanon. Assad emerged triumphant. The rest is history.

There is a lesson here for Lebanon today. America is a friend—not the sinister imperialist power depicted in Hezbollah propaganda. But when it comes to Lebanon, U.S. attention is limited and often fleeting. Lebanese leaders should not overestimate how much their country matters in American strategic calculations. Occasionally, Washington refocuses on Lebanon; when it does, those moments must be seized decisively. If Lebanon helps itself, America is more likely to help. Otherwise, it will move on.

American goodwill is palpable yet again today but it isn’t enough: we need to help ourselves for America to help us. Shenanigans such as "We can go back to the 1949 truce agreement but we can't sign peace with Israel"; or "disarming Hezbollah is a process not an event" are mere excuses for immobilism and inaction. If the Lebanese state does not act, Washington will once again disengage. Hezbollah understands this and is clearly playing for time. The question is whether the Lebanese government understands it as well.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

The Christians of Lebanon are not the punching bag of anyone, regardless of religion or nationality

[Dan Burmawi @DanBurmawy]

Destroying the statue of Jesus in Beirut, Lebanon today.

Let me tell you how the process of Islamification the land works.

You have a town with a Christian population that practices its faith freely. Then some Muslims move into the town, and now you’re adjusting to accommodate their religion in ways that don’t compromise your own.

But that’s never the end of it.

You get your religious statue destroyed, so the next year you might not put it back up because you want to avoid conflict.

Then the school in town stops serving anything except halal food. Then the curriculum starts introducing Islamic teachings because there are now more Muslim students.

Then come calls for sex segregation inside the school. Then non-Muslim women start becoming self-aware about their clothing so as not to offend the neighbors.

Then you have to watch your language.

Eventually, you just move because you don’t want to deal with all of this, and another Muslim buys your house.

Now apply this to the West, but instead of a religious statue, insert “freedom of speech.”

You self-censor. The law loses its meaning. Then you move somewhere you don’t have to submit, and so on, and so forth.

This is how Christians in Lebanon moved from being the absolute majority, to almost a suffocating minority.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

ALPAC Condems in the strongest terms the desecration of the statue of Jesus Christ by an Israeli soldier operating in Southern Lebanon. We expected better discipline from a uniformed soldier of an ally of the United States. President @realDonaldTrump and @SecRubio should take note of this incident and the disciplinary action of the @IDF. If this soldier is not made an example of and serves time in jail, the US should send a clear message to Israel and IDF that such anti-Christian behavior will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences. Christians of Lebanon are not the punching bag of any zealots, regardless of their religion or nationality.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

We honor the sacrifice of our fallen fellow Americans and the Lebanese staff who died in that infamous terror attack. May their memory be a reminder that we can never tolerate or negotiate with Islamists and Jihadis. Their days controlling Lebanon must end and very soon. God Bless America!

[U.S. Embassy Beirut @usembassybeirut]

Today we mark the 43rd anniversary of the terrorist attack against our U.S. Embassy in Ain el‑Mreisseh on April 18, 1983. Since then, the same terrorists and their networks have continued to undermine and threaten Lebanon, and both Lebanese and Americans have paid for this violence with their lives, including here on Lebanese soil. By pursuing the path of peace in the face of those who would sow terrorism and unrest, the U.S. Embassy solemnly honors the memory of our American and Lebanese colleagues killed in that attack, and all those who have been murdered by terrorism in the years since.

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

Johnnie's vision for Lebanon is also ALPAC's vision. A lot of work to do, and President @realDonaldTrump got it started. Together, let's make it happen...

[Fouad Arbid @Fouad_Arbid]

Amen!

[ALPAC @ALPAC_Org]

@MarioLeb79 @ALPAC_Org