Our View: Symbolism vs. substance in refugee crisis

President Nikos Christodoulides can always be relied on to present events in the most positive way imaginable. Describing Thursday’s visit to Lebanon with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, as a “historic day” was an example of this approach. Apart from being very important, in terms of substance, the announcements were also important in “terms of symbolism” as this was the first visit of a president of the European Commission to Lebanon.

Neither von der Leyen nor the Prime Minister of Lebanon...