Very interesting.

Lisa Goldman is trying to minimize the Israeli strikes on Lebanon, how about the 85 bridges destroyed, the Jiyyeh power plant destruction and the pollution that resulted from the oil spill, the villages wiped out in the South, the 1200 Lebanese civilian casualties? Collateral damage?

Hi Mustapha -

Many thanks for the link. I hope you will enjoy my upcoming articles, which will be more in depth.

Kheireddine: I am not trying to minimize anything. Please wait for my upcoming reports before you leap to judge. And also please note that I did not offer my own analysis: I just quoted what people in Beirut told me.

Mustafa, Positive Balance is an independent.

Regards

There is nothing “collateral” about destroying bridges. It is a standard part of any war. The purpose is to block the enemy’s movements. Al Qaeda in Iraq have been destroying bridges for the same reason.

The way to preserve bridges is to keep out of wars.

Lisa, Lebanon is not only about the trendy Beirut beachfront, I wished you could have gone to the Southern Suburbs and to the South to see another Lebanese reality that was created by the Israelis over reactions since the late sixties. I would like to remind you that in December 1968, Israel destroyed 13 Lebanese civilian airplane at Beirut airport? That ruthlessness was used again 2006, expecting that the weak Lebanese government would crack down on the Palestinians in 1968 and on the Hezbollah in 2006. The result was in 1968 an automatic split of the Lebanese between supporters of the Palestinians armed struggle and opponents. Same in 2006, the Lebanese are split between pro-Hizbollah and pro-government lines. Israel has not learned the lesson, the harder they hit and the harder get its enemies.

Don, Hezbollah is a guerilla and not a regular army. They don’t use main roads and highways to smuggle their weapons from Syria, Israel weakened the pro-American Lebanese Government by making heroes from Hezbollah. Israel did not make any positive move toward Lebanon concerning the Shebaa farms which is the excuse given by Hezbollah to keep their weapons.

That said, Lisa I admire you courage because you could have been taken as hostage anytime during your visit. The Israeli government must not be very happy. About Al Manar outrage that an Israeli visited Lebanon, I say to them Israel does not need to send its citizen to spy on Lebanon, there is a lot of Lebanese mercenaries who would do it for the money. Remember that the South Lebanese Army was 70% shiite?

Coming from a Hezbollah “ally”, that made for quite a chuckle…

The comment came from an independent…

When someone wants to keep reporters from reporting, someone has something to hide.

When someone wants to dictate what reporters should report, they also usually have something to hide.

Suggesting other additional topics is ok but you can be sure that this reporter will be hard pressed to safely enter Lebanon again. That says a lot about Lebanon unfortunately. (but not about enlightened Lebanese of course)

Bravo Lisa! Loved your article. Hope to read more on your trip to Beirut. And about Hezbollah’s outrage, nevermind, there is a saying in arabic that says, the dog barks and the caravan moves on - So, please move on - Good work!!

Lisa, great work. I was trying to get into Israel myself for a similar project, though in the mean time, I find it a little hard. Hopefully in the near future I will do my bid in understanding both sides of our tense border.

Mustapha - I would love to see pics of your visit to Israel

If she can have a gay parade - she can have mustapha ;-)

Welcome!!

Z,

Why would I visit Israel? Just because I posted Lisa’s visit doesn’t mean that I’m interested in going there..

Why are Israelis not allowed in Lebanon? Do the 2 governments need to sign a truce or something so that the 2 countries are officially not at war?

And don’t we have just as much reason to say that we are at war with Palestine and Syria and thus kick out anyone from those countries? Who decides these things?

The amount of small-mindedness this story has brought to light is simply astounding.

A lot of people need to get over themselves. There are much bigger issues and concerns in Lebanon than the visit of a journalist and debating where he or she is from.

If people spent half the energy they spend on conspiracy theories and scapegoat accusations on more productive self-criticism and constructive dialog, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.

And the fact that anyone takes exception with people getting to know about each other, and would rather have us isolated and ignorant of each other is very telling. Hezbollah, in particular, would love nothing more for Lebanese to think jews have horns, superpowers, and commune with the devil in black robes every night. And sadly, a lot of Lebanese believe equally ridiculous stuff, because they’re not allowed to see the other side.
Similarly, Hezbollah would love nothing more than for Israelis to think of all us Lebanese as bearded terrorists who want to blow ourselves up.

It’s time to bring down those barriers of ignorance and obscurantism and start talking to each other and seeing each other as human beings. And for that to happen, we have to see each other in person. We have to see for ourselves, not be fed propaganda by Al Manar or whoever else.

Mustapha, next time when we decide to kill more of your people, you should get of your homes and protest against The Hezbollah Terrorists in the streets demanding their disarming and surrendering to the Israeli Jewish superior race, and stop being cowards like last time. You Gentiles should know better, besides, you are more than welcomed to visit us when we build our Temple in Jerusalem, that is off course after we erase all the Palestinian Terrorists and grab full control of our Give By God Lands to his Chosen people.

Ani ohevet otcha

Lehitraot

Talk about small-mindedness…

Shalom, your name means peace? You don’t sound peacefull. You talk about the jews being a superior race? I thought that the Nazi were claiming the same about their race. Unfortulnately for you, Arabs ans Jews are semitic cousins. You sound like a barbarian rather than a civilized human being…

“Why would I visit Israel? Just because I posted Lisa’s visit doesn’t mean that I’m interested in going there..”

Well, you are obsessed with Israel…

awwww mustapha

dont be like that ;-(

come visit Israel - learn about her - see her for who she really is

the problem is that you cant go home once you do - because it will say so on your passport

Ironic how a post about bridging gaps and dialoging seems to bring up the most ignorant and arrogant commenters.

It’s as if these people come out of the woodwork whenever anyone tries to shed some light onto their dark ages mentalities.

Wherever there is Truth, wherever Lies are exposed. Whenever understanding and dialog are promoted, all those who have something to hide, all those who fear dialog come out and whine…

Shalom sounds like he’s a muslim posing as an Israeli Jew. The only people I hear talk about Jews as being the “superior race” are muslims. And I thought Jews aren’t even a race.

“Shalom” a man’s name, said “ohevet” - a female from of the word “love” - obviously an Arab who cant speak Hebrew posing as a Jew.

well, just as lisa used her canadian (was it canadian??) passport to enter lebanon, so can any of you who hold dual citizenships.just make sure your place of birth isn’t dahiyeh or any other hizballah stronghold!! and in any case, if you ask nicely israeli customs officers don;t have to stamp your passport so you can enter lebanon again on the same one - it’s been done…