Last day of Hanukkah

Today is the last day of Hanukkah - the Jewish feast of lights. Fittingly since yesterday night, a constant drizzle has been wetting the City. The sky has been dark and gloomy with no sign of the sun. This makes the idea of light even more poignant. The stone pavements in the City have become a hazard as it becomes very slippery in the rain. Temperatures continue to fall ... down to 14 degrees. Forecast says on Monday it'll drop to 5 degrees or lower. And rain throughout the next 5 days. Well in our case, it's actually a drizzle. Better than nothing.

2 days back there were clashes between muslims and Israeli police. The City was tense as military presence was raised. This morning another clash occurred. Mounted police guarded the outside of the City while lots of soldiers and border police flooded the Old City. But ironically its not just an arab-jewish conflict. Yesterday the 2 Chief Rabbis reconfirmed their ban on Jews entering the Temple Mount, but were rigorously rebutted and ignored by loud calls from other rabbis to enter the Temple Mount. Internally fighting is never a good sign.  To top all this, Syria fired into Israel in the Golan Heights. Israel responded likewise. What a dreadful beginning to winter.

LaSalle Christmas tree

The pope has been in the news these recent days, not least because the PM went to pay him a visit. Jewish columnists have been lauding the pope for his call to humility and poverty and service ... and criticising their rabbis for not being brave enough to do the same. Well I don't know if this is making us more friends or more enemies.

Anyway Christmas is in the air as shops begin selling christmas decorations and institutions put up giant Christmas trees. A bit too earlier I'd say ... but a little joy perhaps is called for in this otherwise tense and gloomy City.