Feast of St Jerome

End of September. Another month passes and the year draws closer to its end. Today is the feastday of St Jerome the bible translator who died in 420 AD. He lived most of his life here in Bethlehem near the cave of Christ's nativity. He's also the patron saint for Bible scholars and students. So .... happy feastday to you all!

As the Middle East Peace talks stagger to a halt (again) and Israeli bulldozers (actually driven by Palestinians) start building on settlements in the West Bank, everyone is shaking their heads - it's that deja vu feeling every year. Been there, didn't do that. Talks fail. Here's a powerful article by an Israeli columnist on this topic. http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/a-special-place-in-hell-confessions-of-an-israeli-anti-settler-bigot-1.316325 

And hit-and-run murders continue in the coastal cities. Makes you wonder if it's safe to go to a coffee shop at all. http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=189710