Sukkot

As Sukkot began yesterday evening, scores of soldiers and police could be found throughout the Old City and outside. I guess they fear an outbreak of tension in Jerusalem - and rightly so. Acre is simply hanging on and who knows if Sukkot will bring more violence. Hopefully common sense will prevail. I was coming home through Damascus Gate yesterday afternoon at about 3pm - the Gate was blocked with people. As I squeezed in, I found out soldiers were separating two boys who got into a fight - well, boys meaning late teens. One was a trolley pusher (many young men do this very hard work of transporting goods in and out of the Old City, pushing trolleys up and down the hill. These guys usually come from poor families who need to supplement their income so instead of studying, they work. They're streetwise and know how to defend themselves - very tough kids.) and the other was probably a college student. Anyway the soldiers did a fine job of separating the guys and trying to talk some sense into them - the soldiers were druze because they spoke arabic well. However I thought how risky this was as the soldiers stood apart in corners to talk to the boys separately - with a huge crowd standing around. Someone could've easily taken advantage and launched an attack on the separated soldiers. But the soldiers took the risk of bringing some peace to the neighbourhood and they must really be lauded - after all, they're working on a national holiday as well.

Peres visiting Akko (Acre - better known as Arc as in Joan of Arc = John of Akko = the Crusader Knights of St John in Akko); with the chief rabbis talking to the arab leaders on the eve of Sukkot - all good signs that everyone is serious about peace. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017526138&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

My ankle is not the least good - hurts alot even at night. So I couldn't walk home from Terra Santa College some 2km away. Marcio my Brazilian friend working at the Media Centre offered to drive me back to Damascus gate. That's when I saw the incident.

Now read this - kosher is not just food and clothes, it's cellphones as well! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7636021.stm

So Sukkot is on us - the greatest feast of the Jewish people, full of rejoicing. Hag Sameah! (Happy Feastday!)