Beirut has been at war since the 1970s, occupied by Syria and Israel, and is the battlefield of the MEA wars. It is still trying to remain free and beautiful despite all the wars. Israel steals water, monuments, land and sand from Lebanon and bomb it every time it takes a breath (under whatever reason). Have you been to both cities? Which one do you prefer? I think Lebanon is being jealoused by Israel because of its natural beauty and because it is fresh and not fake. What do you think? Israelis like to remind us that Beirut “is no longer” Paris of the East. My Western friends claim that Israelis they know always tell them Lebanon is dangerous and don’t go there. Is Lebanon, once the banking and touristic capital of the MEA, an economic threat to others?