Elias Hankash (), born in 1977, is a Lebanese politician. He is currently a member of the Lebanese Parliament as a part of the

Kataeb Party The Kataeb Party (), officially the Kataeb Party – Lebanese Social Democratic Party ( '), also known as the Phalangist Party, is a right-wing Christian political party in Lebanon founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936. The party and its parami ...

bloc.

Early life and education

Elias Rakif Hankash was born in the town of

Roumieh Roumieh is a town north-east of Beirut in Lebanon. Surrounded by pine-forested hills, Roumieh is a 10- or 15-minute drive from the coast. Roumieh is known as a pleasant, picturesque small mountain town with many gardens. Agriculture In additio ...

in 1977 in the

Metn District Matn (, '), sometimes spelled Metn (or preceded by the article El, as in El Matn), is a district (''qadaa'') in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The district capital is Jdeideh (followed to Jdeideh, ...

to a

Maronite Maronites (; ) are a Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant (particularly Lebanon) whose members belong to the Maronite Church. The largest concentration has traditionally re ...

family. He holds a bachelor's degree from the

Holy Spirit University of Kaslik The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK; , ''Jāmiʿah al-Rūḥ al-Quddus – al-Kaslīk'') is a private, non-profit, Catholic university in Jounieh, Lebanon. The university was founded by the Baladites in 1950 and ratified under the new ...

Politics

He joined The Lebanese Phalange Party during his years of study, and rose through the ranks of the party over the years. He acted as advisor to the Minister of Economy and Trade in 2014. Part of Hankash' political activity relates to his opposition to landfill sites on the Metn Coast as well as the high-voltage power transmission lines in the Mansourieh area. In a joint list with the National Liberal Party and the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

in the Mount Lebanon II district, Hankash was able to secure a seat with 2,583 votes in the

2018 Lebanese general election General elections were held in Lebanon on 6 May 2018. Although originally scheduled for 2013, the election was postponed three times in 2013, 2014 and 2017 for various reasons, including the security situation, the failure of the Parliament to ...

. He was made the member of the Economy, Trade and Planning parliamentary commission, and the Youth and Sports parliamentary commission. The Kataeb Party won three seats. Following the

2020 Beirut explosion On 4 August 2020, a major explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship and stored at the Port of Beirut without adequate safety me ...

Hankash along with other MPs resigned. Hankash was able to secure a seat in the Lebanese parliament after earning 6,148 votes during the 2022 general elections. 2 April 2022

Nadim Gemayel Nadim Bachir Gemayel (, born 1 May 1982) is a Lebanese politician and member of the Lebanese parliament since 2018. He is a member of the Kataeb party that was founded by his grandfather Pierre Gemayel and is the son of the assassinated preside ...

, a cousin of Samy, promoted his candidacy in a speech during a small event. Kataeb secured 4 seats for

Salim Sayegh Salim Sayegh is a Lebanese academic and politician who served as Minister of Social Affairs from 2009 to 2011. He has been serving as a member of the Lebanese Parliament since 2022. Early life and education Sayegh was born into a Maronite fam ...

(3,477 votes),

(4,425 votes),

Sami Gemayel Samy Amine Gemayel (, born 3 December 1980) is a Lebanese politician, lawyer and a member of the Lebanese parliament. Being elected as party president in 2015, he presently serves as the seventh leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party which was fo ...

(10,466 votes), and Elias Hankash (6,148 votes). In 2024, he heavily criticized the leadership of Hezbollah, saying it is "Living in Delusion While Lebanon Burns". Hankash criticized Hezbollah for starting a war and blaming it on Lebanon. He also said Lebanese should welcome refugees but criticized the "infiltration" of Hezbollah's military into local populations which Hankash said endagers the civilians. Hankash, in an interview said he would like to see the Lebanese army and the UN control the southern Lebanese border.

Personal life

Hankash is married to Rita Lameh. They have three children together.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hankash, Elias 1977 births Lebanese Maronites Holy Spirit University of Kaslik alumni Kataeb Party politicians Maronite politicians Living people People from Matn District 21st-century Lebanese politicians