About the comments

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A lot of otherwise sane people tend to go a little crazy when the subject is the Middle East in general, and Israel/Palestine in particular. Since most of my blog posts are about my life and experiences in Israel and other parts of the Middle East, I am very leery of seeing the comment threads turn into an angry free-for-all. In order to maintain a welcoming atmosphere and a civilized, intelligent conversation between readers, I do moderate comments. Dissent is more than welcome – it is the stuff of stimulating debate, which I love. But let’s keep it nice (as they say in Canada).

I reserve the right to weed out any comments that contain the following:

Hate speech and/or racism;
Threatening or defamatory language;
Rude or obnoxious language;
Nazi analogies;
Personal attacks;
Repetitive arguments;
Stuff that makes it sound as if the commenter thinks s/he has a direct telephone line to God and/or the messiah.

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10 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

Because you can’t have depths without surfaces
(linda grant) write below the ripples where
clarity reveals. . . .beauty.

1. jfrancis
on November 1st, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I just wanted to offer my support, not because the Israeli government is harassing you but because I think any and all harassment of journalists by governments is wrong. It’s wrong when the Israelis do it to Palestinians or Israelis, and wrong when the Arab governments do it to Arabs and Israelis, too.

My big push is to overcome this taboo in the Arab press prohibiting them from interviewing Israeli leaders, or to participate in meetings with Israeli journalists.

It’s not easy, but I think that when one stands for principle, then it becomes a little stronger of an effort.

The principle here is not about ones ethnicity or race or religion, but the higher principle of professional journalism and through professional journalism, accuracy, truth and fairness.

I hope things work out for you. If there is something I can do other than raising the issue a bit from this perspective, let me know

best regards
Ray Hanania

2. Ray Hanania
on December 13th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Lisa,

I met you at D.’s on Friday and wished there was more time to talk…so I have been reading your posts…and I love the way you write. It feels very real and as though I can share your experiences. I was unable to subscribe to your blog for some reason…probably my lack of computer expertise. You have such a clear voice. I hope I get the opportunity to speak with you again… s

3. susanne woyciechowicz
on January 20th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Hey Lisa,
If “lets keep it nice” is a Canadian saying, why do they allow fighting in hockey, eh?
-A

4. Ariel
on May 28th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Did you see the review of WWB? Am in two minds about the film and the blog but I want the soundtrack. Did your right-wing Lebbo friends see it? Would love to hear what they thought of how the Phlange were portrayed…

5. Yalattif
on June 22nd, 2008 at 8:50 am
Hello. Late to bed and late to wake will keep you long on money and short on mistakes.
I am from Wales and learning to speak English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: “Here a sampling angelaverostko how I love days in brooklyn with my family filled with retro flea markets italian food.”

Thank you so much for your future answers 8). Karina.

6. Karina
on July 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
hi lisa
here im saeed from west bank and i had work with freelances and i made and orgnized alot of story here and i would like to invite you to come and make strories about here.

7. josef
on August 17th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Hi, Lisa

I am something of an amateur canadian myself, having a Canadian wife and planning to move there sometime.

What surprises me is that you say you never felt very attached to Canada, when your native city, Vancouver, is such a great place. Scenically marvellous, with so many interesting communities.

Your thoughts?

8. Ramesh Guha
on April 30th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Well, you know, Gandhi *did* in fact lie down in the road and allow himself to be dragged away to jail. Martin Luther King likewise.
When the Palestinians emulate them, rather than continue to make excuses for stone-throwers, they might actually make a real impact on Israeli public opinion. (Oh, and denouncing blood libel and protocols-of-zion and other anti-Jewish racism might also make a favorable impact. Or would Arabs who did that pay some kind of political penalty?)

9. Michael Reynolds
on July 22nd, 2010 at 9:10 am
Your blog, your rules, for the most part balanced and reasonable.
Just wondering why the ban on analogies between Israel and Nazi Germany. Is it because you feel they are to a certain extent legitimate?
Unless I am boldly mistaken, your approach to this matter proves Norman Finkelstein and Gilad Atzmon right on most of their assertions about “The” Holocaust as a unique, quasi sacred event to leverage on forever and beyond. Quite sad.

10. Nuno Zimas
on August 18th, 2010 at 1:59 am