Joseph Aoun photo with Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif at Vatican causes mayhem

A photo of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shaking hands with Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif at the Vatican has sparked controversy, leading Aoun to deny knowing Tarif despite being in attendance for Pope Leo XIV’s coronation. The Lebanese president’s office claimed Aoun did not recognize Tarif and criticized Israeli media for amplifying the incident, reflecting the deep-seated fears of Lebanese interacting with Israelis amid Iran and Hezbollah’s influence. Amid rising visibility of the Druze community across Israel, Syria, and Lebanon, interactions between Lebanese and Israelis remain exceedingly rare.