FROM: Dan Pollak, Director and Adam Turner, Deputy Director, ZOA Department of Government Relations
RE: ZOA Successful Efforts on Issue of U.S. Funding of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
As you, Morton Klein, directed, the Government Relations department of ZOA has been advocating in our lobbying for realism in U.S. relations with Lebanon, and especially in ending funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as long as they are not acting decisively against the terrorists of Hezbollah. Recently, there has been a major change in the Congress on this issue, and the longstanding position of ZOA has been adopted by key lawmakers from both parties.
Background
The Lebanese Armed Forces has always been a weak player in the political calculations in Lebanon. The U.S. has funneled more than $3 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars into the force since 2004. In 2025, the U.S. government approved a $230 million security aid package for Lebanon, with $190 million specifically for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
The U.S. has funded the LAF and ISF to officially counterbalance, disarm and/or take control of the Hezbollah terror group, which dominates Lebanon. Lebanon is a very divided Arab nation, where (supposedly) the population is about one third Christian Arab, one third Sunni Muslim Arab, and one third Shia Muslim Arab, with small percentage (about 5%) of Druze as well. However, it is quite possible that the Shia Muslim population, which has a higher birth rate and is not willing to immigrate, now makes up 40 percent or more of the entire population. The LAF will not discuss what percentage of its soldiers are actually Shia Muslims. These facts – along with Iranian funding – is why Hezbollah is so powerful in the nation.
Some prominent members of Congress have consistently made the argument that the U.S. must continue to fund the LAF/ISF in meetings with ZOA, but we have pushed back that the LAF/ISF will never do such a thing. That is because it is likely that a significant portion (and possibly a majority) of the members of the LAF/ISF is made up of Shia Muslims. This fact makes it impossible for the Lebanese government – even as it now claims it wants to disarm Hezbollah – to use the LAF/ISF to disarm or control Hezbollah.
ZOA Lobbying on the Issue
ZOA lobbyists Dan Pollak and Adam Turner have met with the significant offices in the U.S. Senate and House to argue against funding the LAF for more than a decade. The significant offices include: Senate and House Foreign Relations/Foreign Affairs Chairmen/Ranking Members/Members; Senate and House Armed Services Chairmen/Ranking Members/Members; and Senate and House Appropriations and Defense Appropriations Chairmen/Ranking Members/Members.
The current Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is Jim Risch (R-ID). Until the latest events, Chairman Risch was very supportive of U.S. funding for the LAF/ISF. Although very responsive with the ZOA overall, having addressed our legislative luncheon multiple times, the staff for Risch have had a friendly running disagreement with ZOA lobbyists over funding the LAF/ISF.
Recent Events & Congressional Momentum
On March 2, 2026, the Lebanese cabinet, acting because of U.S. pressure, pushed through a resolution ordering the LAF to disband Hezbollah and prohibit all its military activities. Five days after that vote, however, LAF Commander Rudolph Haykal met with his top generals and declared that “preventing civil war” was their priority, code for refusing to disarm Hezbollah. The LAF has gone rogue, openly defying the elected civilian government it is sworn to obey.
This defiance produced change on Capitol Hill, at least on the Republican side of the aisle. In response, both frustrated Senate powerhouses Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Jim Risch (R-ID), seem to have lost all patience with the LAF, and both issued calls for defunding it. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), another prominent Senator on foreign affairs, who once threw the LAF commander out of his office for refusing to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization, is now also issuing a blunt ultimatum: not one more American cent unless the LAF undergoes genuine, verifiable, and immediate reform. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) has emphasized that U.S. funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is contingent upon Lebanon taking concrete steps to disarm Hezbollah. He co-led a bipartisan letter in December 2025 urging Lebanese leaders to “disarm Hezbollah now, including by force if necessary,” warning that continued inaction would risk the withdrawal of U.S. support.
ZOA Lobbying on the Hill Post-Resolution
Since the tide on Capitol Hill turned solidly against U.S. funding of the LAF/ISF, ZOA lobbyists have redoubled their efforts to cut off funding for the LAF/ISF. Very recently, the ZOA team met with Sen. Wicker’s staff, who confirmed that Chairman Wicker is supportive of cutting off funding. They also have met with Chairman Mike Lawler (R-NY), who chairs the subcommittee for the Middle East on House Foreign Affairs, and is supportive of funding cuts, as well as Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
ZOA lobbyists will continue our historically close contact with Sen. Risch’s foreign policy team. We are scheduled to meet with his new Mideast advisor, who is a former House staffer who has been historically closer to ZOA’s position on Lebanon.
We meet regularly with House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast’s (R-FL) team, as well as staffers from the Appropriations and other relevant committees.