The user generated web rules: Unless we're talking about Israel and Gaza

I was reading Proposed ban on Israeli academics sparks bitter debate this morning, when I noticed the story had only gotten on comment, surprised I went to read the one comment that made it through moderation and found:

Jim Sheppard from Executive Editor, globeandmail.com, Canada writes: To our readers: globeandmail.com policy is to close comments on all stories related to the Middle East. Past experience has demonstrated that too many people post racist, vulgar, abusive and offensive comments, often encouraging violence against specific individuals or peoples whenever we open comments on such stories. In the interests of furthering intelligent commentary, we invited Mideast expert Michael Bell, a former Canadian ambassador to the region, to take your questions Monday. full transcript is available here.

Not that this surprises me. Still it's scary and so disheartening to realize that even here in North America, people lack the basic common decency to disagree about an already tortuous issue without becoming hysterical and hateful. I mean if Globe and Mail readers become bullying and spiteful and they are thousands of miles away from the culture and the site of conflict how is there any hope for peace?

And yes, I firmly believe the ball is in Israel's court on this one, and if they continue to behave with such cruelty there will be huge repercussions. Also yes I am a little scared.