President Donald J. Trump
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washvington, DC. 20500
February 18, 2025
Re: Sanctions on those attending Hezbollah funeral event
Dear President Trump:
Americans have been exceedingly generous in their financial support of the Lebanese Armed Forces over many years. The United States government has also been patiently guiding them in building up their institutions of democratic governance in the hope that the rule of law will one day reign supreme in Lebanon. In spite of all of our generous support, the newly formed Lebanese cabinet was formed with four members who are partial to Hezbollah and their allies. To add insult to injury, all government officials have been invited to mourn the death of arch terrorist, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed while hiding like a rat in his bunker on September 27, 2024 by the Israeli Armed Forces (IAF).
We, as leaders of American Lebanese organizations that value liberty, freedom, justice, the rule of law and an end to terror groups and their sponsors find it grotesque for any Lebanese government official to participate in this spectacle. Hezbollah has the blood of countless innocent Americans, Lebanese and Syrians on their hands. Their military capabilities have been crushed by the IAF but they remain unrepentant and will reconstitute their arsenal if they are not finished off once and for all. Now is the time to do exactly that.
The time for subtle diplomacy has passed. We admire your bold gestures in creating the Abraham Accords in your first term and standing up strongly against Hamas and for peace so far in the very beginning of your second term. Lebanon is now at the pivot point in its quest to regain sovereignty and rejoin the nations of the world that embrace the rule of law and progress and reject terror groups such as Hezbollah and the nations that support them.
Therefore, its new government leaders, especially President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam must lead and no longer succumb to agents of terror. They are free to choose to attend Nasrallah’s funeral on February 23rd but should pay dearly if they do. They must also commit to disarming Hezbollah and other Palestinian terror groups in short order.
We thank you for warning them of the consequences of their choices by withholding funding to Lebanon until they make measurable achievements that reflect US policy and the will of the vast majority of Lebanese.
Sincerely,
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
World Council for the Cedars Revolution
The Amer Fakoury Foundation
CC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Deputy Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus
Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs Massad Boulos
Members of the US Senate
Members of the US Congress