RELEASE FROM THE AMERICAN LEBANESE COALITION POSITION ON THE
AMERICAN ARAB INSTITUTE SUMMIT
July 19, 2006
Lebanese-American organizations members of the American Lebanese Coalition and
number of other Lebanese-American Organizations do not intend to cosponsor, as
invited by the Arab American Institute (AAI), the Summit of the 19th of July and
most importantly we recommend that no American official or member of Congress
accepts their invitation. These are some of the reasons:
The AAI record of siding with the United States antagonists in the Middle East
and its adoption and somehow promotion of radical and extremist views,
disqualify it from objectively conducting any Summit concerning the current
events in the Region. Well meaning American politicians could be easily dragged
into adopting what would appear to be generic positions which could be twisted
by the AAI into an encouraging image of official dissent and utilized against
the policies of the United States and its allies in the region.
The AAI claims to represent most Arab Americans. This is a false pretense
because the majority of Arab Americans, starting with their largest contingent
of Lebanese Americans, are in total agreement with the majority of their
countries of origin that have condemned the ignition of the latest violence and
blamed openly Hezbollah and Hamas for leading the region into a disastrous
crisis. The AAI has, if not directly approved, never criticized the policies of
the dictatorships of Syria and Iran or Hamas and Hezbollah thus opposing the
will and convictions of the majority of the Arab world.
The AAI did not put a clear agenda for this Summit and did not define its
purpose. Is it to put blame on Hezbollah for the latest flare up of destruction
in Lebanon or to repeat the rhetoric of the extremists? Will it exploit the
blood of the innocent Lebanese and their tragic humanitarian conditions as an
emotional smoke screen in order to launch their usual blanket accusations
implying that all participants accuse only Israel and the United States for the
calamities befalling on Lebanon?
The majority of the Arabs have chosen the road to peace. The fights in
Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq are meant to blow up all the bridges of this road
and to plunge the region into instability. This presents chances of survival for
the Syrian regime and offers the Iranian Mullahs opportunities to spread their
Islamic republic’s aspirations. Regretfully the sectarian fragility of Lebanon
has allowed Hezbollah to drag the country into the conflict which resulted in an
uneven and unwanted war with Israel. Any Summit to solve this crisis should
concentrate on strengthening the Lebanese government and forcing Iran and Syria
to stop arming and financing Hezbollah. If the AAI can adopt these goals we will
be the first on their side. Till then we consider them as serving solely the
interests of the enemies of the United States and the enemies of the Arab world.
Joseph Gebeily, M.D.
President,
The American Lebanese Coalition
Member Organizations
American Lebanese Alliance
President: Tony Bou Samra
8025 Bonhomme Avenue
Suite 1403
Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: 314-727-7494
Fax: 314-721-8588
bousamra@mindspring.com
American Lebanese Coordination Council
President: Joseph Hage
9901 NW 80th Ave # 3D
Hialeah Gardens, FL 33016
Phone: 305-542-6322
Fax: 305-249-9446
E-mail: josephhage@aol.com
www.alcc-research.com
Assembly for Lebanon
President: Mel Zohrob
24037 Acacia
Redford, MI 48239
Phone: 313-535-5252
Fax: 313-535-4411
mz@instrumentsales1.com
www.Assembly-for-lebanon.org
Lebanese Information Center
President: Joseph Gebeily
4900 Leesburg Pike
Suite 203
Alexandria, VA 22302
Phone: 703-578-4214
Fax: 703-578-4615
lic@licus.org
www.licus.org