World Lebanese Cultural Union
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The World Lebanese Cultural Union Submits a Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the Repercussions of the War in Lebanon:
Hands Off Lebanon and Support for the Position of the President of the Republic and the Government on Direct Negotiations
On 31 March 2026, a delegation from the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU), in its capacity as a member of the global NGO community and of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), held a virtual meeting with United Nations officials in New York to discuss the situation in Lebanon. The discussions focused on the war between Israel on one side and Hezbollah—backed by Iran—on the other, as well as the security and humanitarian repercussions of this war.
The delegation was chaired by the Global President of the Union, Ferris Wehbe, and included the Secretary-General of the Union, Bassem Medawar; former Global President Anise Garabet, Chair of the Committee on International Relations; former Global President Elias Kassab, Adviser to the President for Media Affairs; Dr. May Rihani, Head of the WLCU Office in Washington; Elie Gideon, Head of the WLCU Delegation to the United Nations; Joseph El‑Hajj, Chair of the Advocacy Committee in the United States; and Nasser El‑Hajj, representing the WLCU Chapter and allied organizations in Michigan.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the text of which follows.
Los Angels, 29 Mars 2026
His Excellency Mr. António Guterres
Secretary-General of the United Nations
Your Excellency,
We address you today on behalf of the Lebanese diaspora across the world at a moment when Lebanon is enduring one of the most devastating wars in its modern history. Our people are being killed, displaced, and uprooted from their homes, while entire villages and towns are being destroyed.
The present conflict was ignited by Hezbollah’s military actions, undertaken under the command and strategic direction of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. These actions have brought the Israeli war machine upon Lebanon, resulting in a tragic and devastating cycle of violence in which everything has been violated: the sanctity of human life, the integrity of our land, the authority of international resolutions and conventions, and the fundamental values of humanity. The situation today is one in which chaos and escalation prevail, while international forces stationed in Lebanon observe with alarm the growing toll of attacks, casualties, and destruction, as if the world were witnessing a tragedy unfolding without decisive intervention.
Lebanon now finds itself paying the price for two dangerous dynamics: on one hand, Israeli military escalation and disproportionate force, and on the other, the ideological extremism embodied in the Iranian doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, a theologically driven expansionist model of governance that has imposed itself upon the region in the twenty-first century.
Your Excellency,
We express our sincere appreciation for your recent visit to Beirut and for the clarity and courage of the statements you delivered from the Lebanese capital despite the sounds of warplanes, drones, and ongoing military confrontation. Your declaration that “Lebanon has unfortunately been dragged into a war that its people do not wish to fight” reflects an essential truth recognized by the Lebanese people and by the international community.
In your remarks, you also drew a necessary distinction between Hezbollah—whose military and security apparatus the Lebanese government itself considers to operate outside the framework of the state—and the Lebanese state, which seeks to reclaim its sovereign authority over the decisions of war and peace from this armed organization acting as an extension of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon.
We equally value your call for an immediate cessation of hostilities by both Hezbollah and Israel, and your vision for a political solution that would enable Lebanon to exist as a fully sovereign and independent state whose territorial integrity is respected by all, and in which the legitimate authorities alone possess the exclusive right to the use of force. As you rightly emphasized, “this is no longer the era of armed factions; it must be the era of the strong state.”
Your Excellency,
For more than two decades—since the year 2000—Lebanon has effectively lived under a form of disguised Iranian tutelage. This influence has not only extended over parts of our territory, but has also penetrated the political, military, and security institutions of the Lebanese state. Parallel power structures have emerged that have undermined national sovereignty, infiltrated civil and security institutions, and formed alliances with entrenched corruption within the so-called “deep state.”
This system has generated not only chronic security instability and repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty, but also severe economic and financial destabilization. A parallel economic structure has been established outside the authority of the state, circumventing borders, tax systems, and public financial oversight. Since 2007, successive governments have been compelled to grant control of the Ministry of Finance to this political-military axis and its allies, enabling the systematic looting of public and private resources.
It is therefore no coincidence that Lebanon’s once-respected banking system—long considered one of the most important in the Middle East—has collapsed under the weight of corruption, illicit financial activities, and money-laundering networks linked to narcotics production and trafficking, as well as the laundering of Iranian funds transferred in violation of international sanctions.
Following the present war, Lebanon also faces the possibility of a renewed Israeli military presence in parts of southern Lebanon, where destruction is already massive and displacement has exceeded one million people. This humanitarian catastrophe adds to the existing burden of Syrian displacement and Palestinian refugee camps, creating a challenge that Lebanon simply cannot bear alone.
Following the 2006 war, the countries of the Arab Gulf swiftly mobilized to assist Lebanon in rebuilding what had been destroyed. Their support extended not only to reconstruction efforts but also to the provision of vital medical and humanitarian aid, both in the southern suburbs of Beirut and across the South. Likewise, several Arab states rushed to deliver substantial assistance during the war that Hezbollah initiated in October 2023 under the pretext of supporting Gaza.
Today, however, a markedly different reality appears to prevail. The same level of assistance is notably absent. It seems that these countries have chosen not to step forward this time—particularly after they themselves have been subjected to attacks, their territories struck, and their sovereignty violated. This hesitation is hardly surprising given that Hezbollah is widely perceived as a partner of Iran in conflicts that have brought immense suffering to the Syrian and Yemeni peoples, while also maintaining alliances with Iraqi factions that have launched attacks against Gulf states.
Your Excellency the Secretary-General, the urgent appeal you issued from Beirut—alongside the Prime Minister of Lebanon—to raise $325 million in assistance for Lebanon appears, regrettably, to have met with far less international response than expected. Equally evident is the absence of an Arab response, especially following the attacks that targeted several Gulf countries. This reality is further compounded by the fact that Hezbollah is broadly regarded as an arm of Iran and has been officially designated as a terrorist organization by numerous states. Moreover, its activities have not been confined to Lebanese territory; rather, they have extended across multiple countries in the Arab region and beyond.
For your reference, we are attaching a comprehensive list documenting the violations and transgressions attributed to Hezbollah at both the domestic and international levels, as well as the profound consequences Lebanon has endured over the past decades and continues to face to this day.
Your Excellency,
We fear that this war may ultimately end through geopolitical bargaining in which major powers prioritize their strategic interests at the expense of Lebanon and its people. History provides a troubling precedent: Lebanon was once placed under Syrian tutelage, forcing the Lebanese people to bear the burden of regional security arrangements imposed upon their land. Following the Syrian withdrawal in 2005, Lebanon effectively fell under Iranian tutelage, which led to political assassinations, the erosion of state sovereignty, and the deep crisis whose consequences are now tragically evident.
Equally concerning is the prospect of terminating the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Such a decision risks conveying to the Lebanese people that they are being abandoned to their fate. Lebanon—small in territory but great through its people, its culture, and its historical message of coexistence—must not be left as a battleground for international conflicts.
Since 1967, Lebanon has paid an enormous price for wars fought on its soil. The Lebanese people have endured decades of conflict imposed upon them by regional and international rivalries. It is time for the international community to help restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.
In this spirit, we respectfully call upon the United Nations to consider the following steps:
First:
The initiation of direct peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, under United Nations auspices. In this regard, we support the initiative put forward by the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Lebanon and hope that the United Nations will play a central role in facilitating such negotiations.
Second:
In light of the decision to terminate the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force, whose efforts over many years are gratefully acknowledged, and which has served as a witness to the injustices inflicted upon Lebanon and its people, we call for an expansion of the scope and authority of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Such an expansion should allow for the deployment of an international force, operating under a clear mandate from the Security Council and covering the entirety of Lebanese territory. The purpose of this force would be to assist the Lebanese state in restoring its full sovereign authority by facilitating the disarmament of all armed organizations, ensuring security and stability, and supporting the delineation and demarcation of Lebanon’s land and maritime borders with Syria and Israel.
It is noteworthy that both France and Germany have already expressed their willingness to contribute to such an international force.
Third:
The declaration of Lebanon’s neutrality, which we envision as a positive neutrality that safeguards internal peace, promotes sustainable development, and ensures the prosperity and progress of the Lebanese people. Such neutrality would also support peaceful relations with all nations while preserving Lebanon’s cultural, humanitarian, and developmental partnerships within the Arab world and the broader international community—free from military alignments and regional wars.
Your Excellency,
Lebanon must not be left alone in confronting the consequences of conflicts imposed upon it. The Lebanese people deserve a future defined not by war and external domination, but by sovereignty, stability, and peace.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Ferris Wehbe
President
World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU)
