Middle East - Anthony Ham [343]
Following the war Lebanon once again struggled back to its feet. Its tourist industry was hard hit, and homes and infrastructure countrywide were damaged or destroyed. Major contributors toward Lebanese reconstruction included Saudi Arabia, the European Union and a number of Gulf countries.
Lebanon’s problems, however, are far from over. In December 2006, Hezbollah, Amal and various smaller opposition parties overran Beirut’s centre in an attempt to bring down the government. Summer 2007 saw fierce fighting near Tripoli, with the Lebanese army battling Palestinian militants, while car bombs during the early part of the year killed two anti-Syrian members of parliament. More street fighting erupted in Beirut and Tripoli in early 2008, and a bus bombing in Tripoli in August 2008 prompted fears that Palestinian militant activity had still not been vanquished.
Meanwhile, the world’s media continues to speculate that renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – allegedly rearming furiously – is an ever-increasing likelihood. Though the Lebanese continue to live in hope, it seems fair to assume that the dark days are not over yet.
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TRAVEL WARNING: STAYING SAFE
Though its recent history has included several lengthy periods of relative calm, Lebanon’s chequered religious, political and social fabric has frequently caused tensions to flare suddenly and violently.
Many countries, including the UK, Australia and the USA, currently include Lebanon on their list of countries to which all but essential travel should be avoided. Most specifically, foreign offices advise against travel south of Nahr al-Litani (the Litani River) or into Palestinian refugee camps, and suggest avoiding all public demonstrations.
Despite the bleak warnings, you’ll find warm, welcoming people in Lebanon, eager to help travellers, and will quickly feel safe and at home.
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that circumstances can change extremely rapidly: in summer 2006, for example, many travellers suddenly found themselves stranded after Israel’s attacks on the country shut down the international airport and rendered the main highway to the Syrian border impassable. Most crucially when in Lebanon, keep your eye on the news. Ya Libnan (www.yalibnan.com) and the Daily Star (www.dailystar.com.lb) are both good sources of up-to-the-minute online news.
More general suggestions include trying to avoid driving at night (largely due to Lebanon’s hair-raising, headlight-free driving) and taking local advice when travelling in the south. If you’re planning on visiting any Palestinian refugee camps, make sure you take a reliable local companion. Recent threats against UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops have led some to warn against visiting restaurants or other establishments frequented by UNIFIL staff in Tyre. It may pay to talk with your embassy in Lebanon if you’re in any doubt as to your safety.
Finally, theft is a minor problem, but random crime is far lower than in most Western cities. There are occasional spates of motor-scooter bag snatchings, particularly in Beirut but, as in any large city, you only need exercise normal precautions.
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THE CULTURE
The National Psyche
Though Lebanon’s 16 or so religions have fought quite consistently since the country’s creation in 1943, one of the central paradoxes of the Lebanese psyche is the country’s collective and overriding national pride in its tolerance of others. You’re sure to hear this repeated throughout your trip, even when there’s sectarian fighting going on just up the road.
You’ll likely also experience the strange collective amnesia that seems to descend on the population if the country’s civil war is ever brought up in conversation. A painful memory for most, reticence to talk about it (despite the physical scars that still pepper the landscape) is common. You usually won’t encounter the same problem, however, if you mention