A senior Lebanese Maronite cleric’s detention and military court summons after a trip to his parish in Israel drew indignant reactions from Christian leaders on Wednesday. As the Patriarch of the Diocese of Haifa and the Maronite Holy Land, Mussa al-Hajj is, along with other Christian religious figures, allowed to cross Lebanon’s southern border and enter Israel, unlike regular Lebanese citizens. While Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war, Hajj visited Israel because he heads a community of Lebanese Christian Maronites living there, many of whom are refugees who collaborated with Israel during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war. But he was questioned for eight hours earlier this week upon his return from Israel, local media said, before a military court summoned him for further questioning Wednesday. Hajj on Wednesday ignored the military court summons, issued for violating boycott laws imposed on Israel and for involvement in money laundering, an official close to the case said, asking for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi was due to discuss the case with his advisory board Wednesday and Samir Geagea, who heads the biggest Christian parliamentary bloc, condemned the priest’s arrest in a statement. Geagea said that Lebanon’s general security agency had carried out the arrest and initial questioning of Hajj, and described the move as “not at all understandable.” Archbishop Mussa was bringing aid from Lebanese nationals in Israel to relatives back home who have been hit by Lebanon’s crisis, the anonymous official added.