Broadband Lebanon is an organization which aims to gather an active and diverse broadband community that supports the implementation of a modern communication infrastructure which in turn becomes the foundation for a knowledge economy in Lebanon. Broadband will give Lebanon a strategic advantage over regional competitors and will open up global markets to Lebanese services, businesses, and entrepreneurs. We seek to help Lebanese make full use of their advanced education, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, to compete regionally and globally, and to achieve economic growth and social development for their country.

This blog has criticized the government previously for their lack of imporving such an important medium, with the headline: Lebanon finally crosses the finish line, and yet, haven’t even done so. BroadBand Lebanon seems to be supported by many large companies and organizations, and we at the inner circle encourage such moves. If you would like to help, sign the manifesto to mark your voice!

At a conference of Mediterranean countries in Paris, Presidents Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Michel Suleiman of Lebanon agreed to open embassies in each other’s capital and to delineate the border between the two countries.

Mr. Muallem met on Monday with Mr. Suleiman and invited him to visit Damascus. The visit would be the first by a Lebanese official in more than three years.

“We are determined to open an embassy and to exchange diplomatic representation,” Walid Muallem told reporters here. “But this determination has to be shared.”

Lebanese-Syrian check list:

• Diplomacy: Embassy exchange
• Detainees: Lebanese prisoners of war jailed in Syria
• Border: Demarcation of Lebanese-Syrian border
• Official Shebaa farms demarcation (UN position)

Wadi Abu Jmil is loosing it’s identity. Once home to Lebanese Jews, today it is under threat of loosing one of Lebanon’s oldest identity, Judaism.

Though it pleases me to post, that Lebanese Expatriates are helping to fund and renovate the ancient Magen Abraham synagogue in the heart of the Lebanese capital, one of the largest in the Arab world. Renovation is expected by the end of this year or by 2009.

In the capital, along the former demarcation line between the Muslim and Christian areas, another vestige survives: the Jewish cemetery.

The Jews of Lebanon, a highly active Lebanese blog, seeks to raise the awareness of the Jewish community and to make it an active participant in public life.

Before the (1975-1990) civil war, there were about 22,000 Lebanese Jews; Today, there are about 300 Lebanese Jews currently living in Lebanon.

Efraim, a merchant and a member of the Jewish Council in Lebanon, the community’s official authority, says one of the annoyances is living in a country where mixing the terms “Jewish” and “Israeli” is common.

“People still occasionally ask me if I am Israeli,“

To him, “that’s exactly as if we used the term Iranians to describe Lebanese Shiites.“

“After 1982, very few Jews went to Israel, and those who did, didn’t stay long. They felt deeply Lebanese. Many Lebanese Jewish expatriates, mostly emigrating to the west, still have land and do not want to sell, because it would be like selling a part of themselves“.

Soundtrack: Goran Bregovic - Fanfare Ciocãrlia (Asfalt Tango)

The number of real-estate sales operations in Lebanon in the first five months of 2008, rose by 19.4 percent (1/5th) compared to the same period of 2007.

This was coupled with a significant rise in property taxes receipts of 55.2 percent to reach LL204.7 billion. The Lebanese ministry of Finance said in a statement the ‘value of properties sold‘ in Lebanon over the past five months of this year rose by 72 percent to reach $1.993 billion.

It added that although property prices have been on an upward path in Lebanon, this rise has been at a slower pace than the global and regional increases in real-estate prices, thereby leading to a further interest in Lebanon’s real-estate sector.

The majority of collected property taxes in the first five months of 2008 were in:

• Beirut with 30.3 percent of the total amount.
  
• Baabda with 22.2 percent,
  
• Metn with 19.1 percent,
  
• Keserwan with 11.0 percent,
  
• North with 7.1 percent,
  
• South with 5.5 percent,
  
• and the Bekaa Valley with 4.0 percent.

Naharnet is allowing every Lebanese citizen to talk directly to the president without intermediaries. By commenting or posting questions on their site. I am not sure how people will get a response, but it’s a great idea!

http://askthepresident.naharnet.com

As stated in a previous post Lebanon, the ‘only country’ to regain all its detainees from Israeli Jails, has finally been conducted. The recent months following the Doha agreement, Lebanon has witnessed immense challenges and benefits; The removing of an 18 month protest in the heart of Centre-Ville to the election of a President, and the formation of a government cabinet to setting diplomatic relations with Syria, thanks to France, by opening an exchange of embassies for the first time between the two ’sovereign’ nations yet to come.

Socially, for the current times we’re in, Lebanese are enjoying the summer season with their highly active social events from festivals and outings.

President Sleiman stated yesterday that “Lebanon is now back on the global map“, this may all seem fast, but this blogger feels the best is yet to come.

The following obstacles still remain on two fronts:

Lebanese-Syrian check list:

• Detainees: Lebanese prisoners of war jailed in Syria
• Border: Demarcation of Lebanese-Syrian border
• Official Shebaa farms demarcation (UN position)
• Diplomacy: Embassy exchange

Israeli-Lebanese check list:

• Occupation: Shebaa farms & Kafar Shuba Hills
• 400′000 Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
• Detainees: Lebanese/Israeli POW exchange
• Expropriate: Lebanese Waters by Israel (UNIFIL/FINUL)
• Border Crossings & Overflights