Power Couple Antoun Sehnaoui and Morgan Ortagus Unite Guests Around a Shared Vision of Peace

Last week, Lebanese and Israeli guests came together at The Mark Hotel in New York City to celebrate the latest book from Hussain Abdul-Hussain, an American author of Lebanese and Iraqi origins. The event honored The Arab Case for Israel, which argues that peace between the Arab world and Israel is not only possible, but long overdue. The gathering followed the latest round of peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel conducted under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.

Behind the evening were Antoun Sehnaoui and Morgan Ortagus — a couple who have individually long worked towards peace in the Middle East. Sehnaoui, one of Lebanon’s most prominent businessmen and philanthropists, has been making the case for a Lebanon-Israel peace deal for years, long before it was a safe or popular position to hold. Ortagus, a former Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, was a key figure in the Abraham Accords, the landmark 2020 agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations. Ortagus also led the first direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in 32 years. The two became a couple last year and have since combined their efforts to secure peace in the region.

Those close to the couple say the relationship is rooted in a shared conviction that has defined both of their careers: that peace in the region is definitely achievable, especially for Lebanon and Israel, as these neighbors share common people and cultures. The couple have dedicated their lives to this cause. For Sehnaoui and Ortagus, the personal and the purposeful are inseparable — which is why those who move in their orbit describe them as one of the most well-known couples in the Middle East actively working towards peace, not from the sidelines, but as people who create the spaces where people from all backgrounds can come together and build bridges so real work can get done.

The evening at The Mark was an example of this work, and a quiet proof of concept that the argument at the heart of The Arab Case for Israel is already being lived out. Lebanese and Israeli guests gathering in the same room, all with the shared belief that peace between their two countries is worth fighting for.