What I find even more distrubing, and as further evidence to Israel's wanton irresponsibility, is that this year was expected to be the best year yet for Lebanon's tourism industry. I expect that the most significant damage has been done to that by now, and most tourists will simply cancel their plans to visit Lebanon.
At my airline, operations to Beirut have been cancelled and we are not overflying Lebanese airspace as a precaution.
This is a shame. After so many years of violence and a civil war that left swaths of Beirut in ruins, the Lebanese people deserve better. Thanks to the generosity of Rafik Hariri, parts of Beirut were restored to their former glory and Beirut again became synonymous with night-life, entertainment and tourism rather than it's unenviable reputation during the 80's as a war zone.
These armed actions have taken away from the Lebanese people an opportunity to prosper in peace. Where the opportunity to make a better life through tourism, when a country is attacked like this, where will newly unemployed Lebanese turn to? Hardly a smart move for towards a sustainable peace.