WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / October 19, 2026 / The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy (AMCD) today issued an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging decisive action following his recent conversation with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. AMCD strongly supports Secretary Rubio's insistence that explosives seized from Hezbollah must never be returned and that Lebanon's 1955 Boycott Law must be repealed.

In the letter, AMCD Co-Chairs Tom Harb and John Hajjar emphasize that the 1955 law, originally an economic boycott measure, has been stretched far beyond its original purpose. Lebanese authorities now use it to criminalize nearly any contact between Lebanese and Israelis-including conversations, meetings, shared conferences, and even pilgrimages by Lebanese Christians and Muslims to the holy sites of the Holy Land.

"The law is not only impractical; it has become a tool for politicized prosecutions of those who advocate peace," the letter states. "One of AMCD's own co-chairs, Tom Harb, an American citizen born in Lebanon, was summoned to appear before the Lebanese military court, as have so many others. Americans should not face criminal charges abroad for speech that is protected at home."

AMCD calls on President Aoun to repeal the 1955 Boycott Law without delay and to permit open communication with Israel at every level:

• Military-to-military channels to prevent further loss of innocent life through miscalculation;
• Diplomatic and negotiation channels to advance lasting peace;
• Ordinary citizen contact, including a pilot program allowing Lebanese pilgrims to visit the holy sites in time for Christmas 2026 without fear of prosecution.

To give these demands weight, AMCD urges the Administration to work with Congress on two concrete measures:

1. Condition U.S. assistance - Any U.S. financial or military aid to the Government of Lebanon should be conditioned on repeal of the 1955 Boycott Law and concrete steps to facilitate military, diplomatic, and civilian communication with Israel, including freedom of pilgrimage.
2. Impose targeted sanctions - Absent repeal, the United States should sanction any Lebanese government body, institution, or individual that prosecutes or penalizes people for peaceful contact with Israelis or for visiting the holy sites-particularly when the person is a U.S. citizen.

"American taxpayers should not underwrite a government that criminalizes the pursuit of peace," the letter concludes. "We respectfully urge you to continue pressing President Aoun on these issues and to support these measures in Congress."

The open letter has been sent to key lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The full open letter is available at:
https://americanmideast.com/2026/10/16/open-letter-to-secretary-rubio/

Contact:

Rebecca Bynum
American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
rebecca@americanmideast.com
+16157756801

SOURCE: AMCD