World Lebanese Cultural Union
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Press Release
Los Angeles, June 28, 2026
World Lebanese Cultural Union President, Mr. Ferris Wehbe
Lebanon Takes Its First Step Toward Restoring Sovereignty, and the State Demonstrates Its Ability to Make Decisive Decisions
The World Lebanese Cultural Union has closely followed the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations held in Washington. We take this opportunity to congratulate Lebanon and the Lebanese people on the signing of the tripartite framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, under the sponsorship and support of the U.S. administration. The Union declares the following to the Lebanese people, both at home and abroad:
- We extend our sincere congratulations to His Excellency President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam for the firm and wise leadership they have demonstrated, consistent with the Presidential Oath Speech and the government’s decisions aimed at restoring the authority over war and peace exclusively to the state.
- The signing of this framework, under the guidance of the country’s leadership, constitutes an important first step toward restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty over its territory. It is the result of direct negotiations conducted by the Lebanese delegation with competence and determination, marking a return to the bold traditions of Lebanese diplomacy known during the independence era, before decisions of war and peace were taken out of the state’s hands.
- No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, or how long the path toward full implementation, this diplomatic achievement belongs to Lebanon. For the first time in decades, Lebanon is negotiating in its own name and for its own national interest, rather than as a hostage to regional calculations beyond its control.
- The taboos and empty slogans that dragged Lebanon into other people’s wars and devastated the country through decades of instability have fallen. Enough bloodshed and destruction. The time has come for the state to rejoin the ranks of advanced nations—a path from which Lebanon has been delayed since the ill-fated Cairo Agreement of 1969.
- Lebanese people, both in Lebanon and throughout the diaspora, aspire to see Lebanon become a normal nation once again, where culture, arts, life, and joy take precedence over the language of weapons. The World Lebanese Cultural Union, along with the entire Lebanese diaspora, will stand beside the presidency and the government in their efforts to place arms exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese Army—the protector of the nation and the guarantor of security for all citizens under justice and the rule of law.
- We recognize that the next phase will be delicate and difficult, and that the journey from signing this framework to its full implementation will be long and complex. Some armed groups will not easily relinquish their weapons, having already publicly declared their rejection of this process. Some of these groups are partially linked to an entrenched system of corruption within the deep state and benefit from keeping this issue hostage to regional balances. Therefore, we call on all Lebanese to remain vigilant, reject attempts to spread chaos, and rally exclusively behind the Lebanese Army and legitimate security forces as the only authorities entrusted with protecting Lebanon and its people.
The signing of this framework is not the end of the road but its beginning, as described by the American mediator himself. It is the dawn of a new hope emerging from our history burdened with wounds. What has been achieved must be safeguarded through serious follow-up, not celebrated as an end in itself. While appreciating this step, the Union emphasizes that the independence Lebanon seeks this time must be complete, lasting, and fully realized—not merely a passing slogan.
Ferris Wehbe
World President, World Lebanese Cultural Union