Yesterday after the noon prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque, arabs and israeli soldiers fought in the esplanade. I heard over 20 stunt grenades being fired. People were running out of the mosque complex. Lions' Gate was choked with cars and people fleeing ... it was chaos.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-clash-with-israel-police-at-jerusalem-s-temple-mount.premium-1.505213
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Yuen Xiao party at
Mandarin's |
It's Purim this evening but celebrations have already begun several days earlier. People in crazy costumes, dancing, singing and drinking. It's also Yuen Xiao or Chap Go Meh. Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant organised a party for her family and friends. I was invited. Really fantastic food ... shanghainese cuisine. Then lots of games and fun. The chinese embassy staff and families were also invited. Several chinese tour guides were also invited. I had to give the opening speech in hebrew ... which I struggled through. Thankfully the Israeli family side of Ah Ling understood me.
The PM is gambling dangerously by forming a coalition with the smaller ultra-orthodox religious parties. He still can't form a majority so he needs to compromise and add a few center-right parties that don't threaten him. But now it seems the 2 larger parties that he's trying to leave out due to irreconcilable differences seem to ganging up on him. It's history repeating itself - the very same tactic he used to usurp the elected Livni several elections ago. Not a happy Purim for the PM this weekend.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/netanyahu-suspicious-as-the-coalition-building-race-continues.premium-1.505099
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