Washington, DC – Karam, an American citizen stranded in Lebanon, says she feels as if she does not matter to the United States government.
For much of the past year, Lebanon has faced relentless Israeli bombardment — part of a US-backed campaign that has killed hundreds and displaced more than a million people, according to the United Nations.
In recent days, however, the conflict has escalated, as the Israeli military launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.
On Monday, Karam called the US embassy in Beirut for help fleeing the violence. But she said she was told to find a way out of the country by herself.
Karam, who chose to be identified by her nickname out of fear of retaliation, drew a contrast with how the US State Department swiftly chartered special flights and a ship to evacuate American citizens in Israel after Hamas’s October 7 attack last year.
“Americans of Lebanese descent have been treated as lesser US citizens than Israeli US citizens. It is as if we don’t exist,” Karam told media.
On Wednesday, the administration of President Joe Biden announced that it contracted its first flight to evacuate US citizens from Beirut to Istanbul, nine days after Israel started its offensive in Lebanon.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the flight carried 100 US citizens — a fraction of the nearly 6,000 Americans who have contacted the US embassy for information and help.