Rishon Rishon

Mostly-accurate portrayal of my life

Whenever I know something about the story, I see that they got it wrong. Look what they did to my friend Brian Blum (also here):

For the past three years, I have been writing a decidedly non-political weblog called 'This Normal Life'. My goal has been to present slices of what passes for 'normal life' in today's troubled Israel.

I have very deliberately avoided presenting any particular political or religious point of view, and have turned down a number of offers for interviews with the international media, always afraid that my neutrality as an author would be compromised.

So it was with no small amount of trepidation that I agreed to be profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle. The reporter actually found me through my blog, and said he was writing a series of articles about the real people behind the headlines living their normal lives in the Middle East. As a former San Franciscan, I would be perfect, he assured me.

With a pickup line like that, how could I say no?

Imagine then my shock when I read the headline of the article about me that appeared in Sunday's SF Chronicle (July 24): 'Settler Hopes for Peace to Take Root.'

More:

When I first started writing 'This Normal Life', I approached the Chronicle, my hometown paper, and suggested that they print my blog as a weekly column. The editor I spoke with said the only way they could do that is if they gave equal time and space to a contrasting Palestinian viewpoint.

I argued, to no avail, that my writing was not political; it was just charming little stories about daily life from an expatriate San Franciscan.

So now, when I see a headline describing me as a settler, I have to wonder ― was that the result of a complete lack of awareness by the headline writer as to what the term 'settler' connotes? A deliberate attempt to spice up the story ― to say 'look, here's a real settler who supports peace, isn't that special?'

Or was it something even worse ― a not-so-hidden political agenda to radicalize a simple Israeli?

Whatever the intention, the words are loaded and the result tarnishes Stannard's mostly-accurate portrayal of my life.