Prominent Lebanese actor and playwright Ziad Itani has been arrested for allegedly “collaborating with the Israeli enemy” in plots targeting political leaders in the country.
Lebanon’s Sate Security Forces said on Friday the charges centre on Itani’s alleged help in Israeli plans to assassinate current and former Lebanese officials, as well as efforts to normalise relations with Israel throughout his career.
Itani was detained at his home in Beirut on Thursday night “after several months of monitoring, follow-up and investigations within and outside” Lebanon, it said.
The statement said Itani confessed during interrogation to being in contact with Israeli agents in Turkey, where he gave them “extensive” information on two prominent political figures while monitoring a larger group of politicians.
Lebanon joined other Arab states in immediately declaring war on the nascent State of Israel in 1948. It has been in a state of war with it ever since.
