- Title: Lebanese people wish for peace in 2017
- Date: 29th December 2016
- Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT SEASIDE CORNICHE VARIOUS OF MAN FISHING VARIOUS OF SEAGULLS FLYING ABOVE WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, SULEIMAN BAKHTI, SAYING: "I wish for peace to reign in the region, especially after we have witnessed a lot of wars, bloodbaths and human rights violations." VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY VARIOUS OF BILLBOARDS SHOWING ADVERTISEMENTS FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, SHAHD ISMAIL, SAYING: "We always wish for goodwill, peace and health, but the wish I make on every possible occasion - New Year, my birthday or anything else - is to keep my family and beloved ones well. There's nothing more I wish than health, goodwill and peace. I hope we will finally feel comfortable." VARIOUS OF ANOTHER BILLBOARD SHOWING ADVERTISEMENT FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE TRAFFIC DRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, MOHAMMED BASHASHI, SAYING: "I honestly wish that we live in peace for the coming New Year, for at least five minutes - not even half an hour - I don't want to be greedy. I hope we will see something new and people stop living in stupidity and depression. (I also hope) we have some nice moments." TRAFFIC IN HAMRA STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, KARINA KHOURY, SAYING: "I live abroad in France, it's been three years since I have been to Lebanon and I am very happy to be here. I especially came to see my family whom I haven't seen for a while and I wish that the situation will be better in Lebanon next year and we, expatriates, can come more often and enjoy it." TRIPOLI, LEBANON (DECEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC IN STREETS BILLBOARD ADVERTISING NEW YEAR'S EVE SHOW (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, RABIH SHEIKHO, SAYING: "We wish 2017 will be a good year for Lebanon. I hope Lebanon will be better by all means, life comes back to normal and peace reigns in Lebanon with coexistence between all Lebanese." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE STREETS BILLBOARD SHOWING ADVERTISEMENT FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE SHOW BILLBOARD READING (Arabic): "NEW YEAR'S EVE" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, ALI MATAR, SAYING: "Well it's been the same since 1975, with the same every year, but we wish now since we have a new president - who has been saying for the past two or three years that he wants to bring change - we wish he, all the members of parliament and new ministers to be united so that this new generation find jobs." BILLBOARD ADVERTISEMENT FOR A SHOW VARIOUS OF WOMEN IN THE STREETS TRAFFIC IN A STREET
- Embargoed: 13th January 2017 13:00
- Keywords: Lebanon new year Beirut Tripoli expectations holidays 2017
- Location: BEIRUT AND TRIPOLI, LEBANON
- City: BEIRUT AND TRIPOLI, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0015EXPGET
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With the year coming to an end, Lebanese people in the streets of Beirut and Tripoli say they are hoping peace will prevail in the region in 2017.
Lebanon has been strained by the Syrian conflict, hosting more than a million refugees from the country. It has been repeatedly hit by security incidents linked to the Syrian conflict, including Sunni militant attacks.
Lebanese man Suleiman Bakhti said he wishes for peace in the region, "especially after we have witnessed a lot of wars, bloodbaths and human rights violations".
For banker Shahd Ismail, the New Year's wishlist is "health, goodwill and peace".
Mohammed Bashashi said he too wished for peace "for at least five minutes".
"I hope we will see something new and people stop living in stupidity and depression," he said.
Karina Khoury was among the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese expatriates visiting the country for the festive season.
"I live abroad in France, it's been three years since I have been to Lebanon and I am very happy to be here. I especially came to see my family that I haven't seen for a while and I wish that situation will be better in Lebanon by next year and we, expatriates, come more often and enjoy it," she said.
In the northern city of Tripoli, residents Rabih Sheikho and Ali Matar were both hopeful that the coming year will be better.
"I hope Lebanon will be better by all means, life comes back to normal and peace reigns in Lebanon with coexistence between all Lebanese," Sheikho said.
Matar said he had more expectations from the new government of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. The country also elected Michel Aoun as president in October, ending a 29-month vacuum in the presidency.
"It's been the same since 1975 with the same every year, but we wish now since we have a new president - who has been saying for the past two or three years that he wants to bring change - we wish he, all the members of parliament and new ministers to be united so that this new generation find jobs," Matar said referring to the country's civil war between 1975 and 1990.
Lebanon's parliament passed a vote of confidence on Wednesday (December 28) in the country's new government. After months of political paralysis, Aoun and Hariri formed a new government two weeks ago of 30 ministers drawn from most sides of the country's political spectrum and from all of its religious sects. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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