Although in many ways, industry was less affected by the month-long conflict with Israel than other sectors, it faces one of the most challenging recovery processes. Speaking with Executive in days leading up to the conference in Sweden, Lebanese industrialists emphasized the need for strong government support in rehabilitating the embattled sector. Mohammed Zeidan, the Plants Manager at Liban Lait, said that his factory would be unable to raise the $20 million required to rebuild on its own. “Investors already paid once,” he noted. “Why should they pay again?” As long as the political situation that led to the factory’s destruction remains unstable, few investors are willing to take such major risks. Maliban’s Hassan el Fil echoed Zeidan’s sentiments: the glass factory has “no plans” to rebuild unless it can obtain outside help and assistance. However, this does not mean industrialists are idly standing by. In cooperation with Association of
