TOLEDO, Ohio —
Lebanese Toledoans are reacting to the conflict in the Middle East, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah rise in Lebanon.
"I want people to know that Lebanon is a piece of heaven on Earth. It's so beautiful," said Labib Hajjar, part owner of The Beirut restaurant in west Toledo.
Hajjar came to northwest Ohio more than 50 years ago but still has family in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley — one of Toledo's sister cities.
"I never experienced any wars, any fighting, any of that stuff," he said.
For many in southern Lebanon, though, that could be a reality soon and it is causing concern among Toledo's large Lebanese population.
The country is caught in high tension with Israel, as Hezbollah gears up to respond to the assassination of one of its top leaders.
"I feel bad for all the innocent people, the children, the people who don't want anything to do with this. They're just caught in the middle of it," Hajjar said.
Even though his family isn't near the Israeli border, a land invasion could cause an influx of southern Lebanese citizens fleeing war.
"(In) prior years, a lot of the people that came from the south have settled in our hometown and took some homes from my cousins. My aunt's home was taken," Hajjar said.
Eventually, his family was able to get their properties back.
For now, they're staying put and remaining on edge about what could happen next.
"Hopefully it'll pass through. We've been through it many times before. I hope it's short," he said.
Hajjar is hoping peace negotiations start and finish before the situation worsens.
"It's a lot of politics. A lot of egos and a lot of bad judgment on a lot of people. Just pray," he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Saturday encouraged its citizens in southern Lebanon to leave immediately, prepare to shelter in place or come up with plans that do not rely on assistance from the U.S. government.
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