he field of international diplomacy is booming. And for once, there is a commonality among many in Israel, Lebanon, and Iran: a battle of nerves.
They wait, anxious, not knowing what might happen next. The entire area seems to be holding its breath.
Is a full-scale regional conflict about to break out? Is it possible to extract a truce from the wreckage of Gaza? In what way will Iran, through its proxy group Hezbollah, exact revenge on Israel for the consecutive killings in Tehran and Beirut? Will they listen when caution is advised?
In Lebanon, a veil of worry covers the stifling summer heat.
Israeli airplanes breach the sound barrier in the skies, causing heart-stopping loud booms to disrupt the cacophony of Beirut traffic.
Many foreign nationals have left, following their governments’ advice. Many Lebanese people have also left.
Some, like the 30-year-old chef of a trendy café (there are too many of these in Beirut to count), find it impossible to leave. She doesn’t want to be identified, but she is open and has tattoos.
She tells me that living in Beirut is like being stuck in a terrible relationship.
“I have an emotional connection. I could go because I have family there, but I don’t want to. We go about our daily lives. And we make jokes about the circumstances.
