Lebanese Christmas Celebrations Overshadowed by Presidential Anticipation
-
Raven Ruma - . December 24, 2024
- . Update: December 24, 2024 11:23 pm
Lebanese Christians celebrate Christmas with renewed hope that a new president will be elected on January 9. Lebanon has not had a president for two years. The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi called Lebanon to restore active positive neutrality, during his Christmas message due to tensions with Israel.
The message was received at a time when Lebanon is still recovering from the effects of the previous conflicts more than 816 Israeli violations were documented between November and December alone. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon needs a ‘Christmas spirit’ regarding national issues, and he met with Premier Najib Mikati to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon.
However, political instabilities prevailed back then. Beirut recorded a rise in holiday traffic, with people flying in from the Rafic Hariri International Airport to see their families. On the other hand, Italian army chief Lt General Luciano Portolano stepped up his tour of the UNIFIL forces, where he sat down with Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on military cooperation.
