first time I read your blog...it's great. Shared it with my friends.

Nice article, I enjoyed the different perspective. And I loved the line about "5 Star Fatah".

a rock solid piece, Lisa

Fantastic story! It's so refreshing to read this kind of story, which highlights the human angle and puts names and faces on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian "conflict" ( i hate using that generic term).

Your blog should be required reading to all the naysayers, haters and rhetoricists out there. If only for the paragraph about the Israeli and the Palestinian conducting a casual conversation in the background of Fatah's so called "show of force".

Sometimes, i do wish the mainstream media showed us more of this "wide angled view" of the background (to use the photograph terminology both literally and figuratively).

Lisa - total respect. I so enjoy your compassionate, humane take on our world. Can't wait to get back and talk more. You're an inspiration. L

Interesting article. Neat place, Ramallah. Neat people. Can't help but to feel for them, foibles and all.Meanwhile, in Nablus....

What a great article. I agree with bad vilbe. Your story about Ramallah presents a totally different picture from the one I had in my head. We are so isolated in the States, and ignorant as a result. Unless you have satellite TV the only access we have to a more accurate picture is on the internet. That's why I read about 40 Middle East blogs, especially yours.

I know you have long been on friendly terms with many Palestinians. But the interactions on the street you described between Israelis and Palestinians is totally different from what I would have expected, and so... well, normal. Makes me almost believe there is hope that the conflict can come to an end.

Dan

Hi lisa

great article , first time i read a blog or an article that does not condemn Hamas straight away , but you are willing not to jump to conclusions and see the other side of the story and you even managed to show some kind of normal atmosphere and calm. Bravo , that s what i call Honest neutral journalism and it has become so rare . bravo. Fatima

(there are plenty of videos , that i have seen , on fatah torturing even killing in cold blood one Hamas member . it is sad but it happened . some warlords within fatah do not care anymore )