Companies allegedly linked to Israel are trying to bypass the Lebanese Economy Ministry’s Israel Boycott Office after the latter blocked their attempt to work with Casino du Liban, Al-Akhbar reported on Tuesday.
The two companies in question, Oryx Gaming and Bragg Gaming Group, had been reportedly trying for the past few months to finalize deals with the Casino du Liban, which is one of Lebanon’s major touristic institutions.
After the Israel Boycott Office suspended the process, based on the instructions of the Economy Ministry, the companies submitted objections at the ministry’s Directorate-General, claiming that the information about their alleged connection to Israel was invalid.
Economy Ministry Director-General Mohammad Abou Haidar had previously asked General Security to investigate the companies’ alleged link to Israel.
General Security found that most of their executives and employees either were Israeli nationals or had ties to Israel, according to Al-Akhbar.
When the companies objected, Abou Haidar contacted General Security again, requesting another investigation into the matter.
General Security then responded by confirming the existence of relations between the two companies and Israel, which would pose a security threat to Lebanon if they were allowed to operate within Lebanese territory.