November 8, 2026
The municipality of Dbayeh – Zouk El Kharab seeks to establish a concrete base at the entrance to Nahr al-Kalb with the aim of raising a flagpole of the Lebanese flag on it on the eve of Independence Day. In this context, information from the “Lebanon Debate” website confirmed that the Minister of Culture still categorically rejects the project, due to the lack of the necessary organizational and technical conditions for establishing the base, stressing in an official notification to the mayor, Nabih Tohme, his categorical refusal to develop any facilities on the rock.
This municipal insistence on implementing the project comes in violation of an explicit judicial reference requiring the cessation of work, and without obtaining the approval of the Public Prosecution to resume the work. Data indicate that resuming work requires official notification from the Ministry of Culture to the Public Prosecution, which has not happened so far, which means the work will continue despite its illegality.
This issue acquires extremely sensitive dimensions due to the historical and cultural value of the site. The Nahr al-Kalb Memorial Rocks have been included in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register since 2005, and the archaeological site was included on the preliminary World Heritage List in 2019.
It remains to be emphasized that raising the national flag does not justify bypassing judicial decisions or circumventing the refusal of the Ministry of Culture, as adherence to laws and protecting historical sites remains a binding national responsibility that requires resorting to legal frameworks and not imposing a fait accompli policy.
